Echoes
by DanniFielding
Summary: 'Most of the time he looks straight through me, and I blink in and out of existence without him seeing me, never to remember me. But then, sometimes, he notices me and each time he never forgets.' The Doctor keeps meeting her, but can never hold on. Until, one time, he does. OC/NewDoctors. AU based on the Time Child series.
1. The Start

_I don't know who I am, or where I am going. I feel like I'm in a million different places at once, and it's like I'm always supposed to be there. I don't know where I am, or who I'm supposed to be, but there is one thing I know I must do._

 _I must save the Doctor._

 _He has many faces, and many friends, but no matter how hard he tries, I always know it's him. I have to find him, I have to save him, I have to bring him back from the brink of destruction time and time again._

 _Most of the time he looks straight through me, and I blink in and out of existence without him seeing me, never to remember me. But then, sometimes, he notices me and each time he never forgets._

 _I was brought into the universe by a series of chance events that everyone put into place but me. But_ _this_ _, this is my choice._

 _My name is Danielle Fielding. I'm the girl who died again and again and I live to save the Doctor._

 _~0~0~0~_

The Doctor hadn't meant to overshoot it so much. Small jumps were so much harder in the TARDIS, that was something he both knew from experience as well as one of the few things he remembered from the few flying lessons he's actually turned up for. Still, he should have been able to make the jump from Victorian Cardiff to modern London with ease. Or, at least, he should have been able to check before he'd let her out to see her mother. A quick look at the monitor and he could have taken them back to the right time and no one would have known anything. But it was too late now, she'd gone to see her mum. They both knew he'd taken her a year out of her timeline, and therefore the moments were fixed. He couldn't take her back, because they wouldn't know to take her back. A paradox he couldn't exactly put into place despite his want to.

He knew Jackie Tyler's heartache as well, much too well. Years and years of travelling and then a war no one could ever fathom had shown him first-hand what not knowing where your children were, if they were safe or even alive, could do to a person. It could overtake your mind, be in your every thought. The Doctor had been able to distract himself, but all Jackie had been able to do was wallow in the what-ifs, and as much as he didn't do the domestic scene, he'd not wish that on anyone.

Of course none of them had been able to focus on it too long other than Jackie, and the Doctor had taken the distraction of a fake alien flying into Big Ben and flung himself fully into the situation as he always did. Mainly to mask his own pain, but also to mask his guilt. A terrified pig, a few Slitheen and a bomb later, and he was back to thinking upon his mistakes. He shouldn't have tempted her so with the prospect of time travel, but he knew just how much she would love it, and he had been right. Rose Tyler had taken to it wonderfully and she'd been an absolute joy in his life. He hadn't wanted to take any more companions after the War, he hadn't trusted himself nor did he think he deserved it, but she was a wonder he hadn't been able to walk away from. She had wormed her way into his hearts very quickly, and now she was a best friend he'd never be without.

He shook his head, hand on his key as he unlocked the blue box he'd shown her just the start of the universe in. Sentimental old fool, it must have come with old age.

He opened the door, planning on fiddling around for a bit with the console of his time machine to give Rose a chance to say goodbye to her mother. He hadn't expected the flash of red hair that caught his attention, not the woman it belonged to as she spun around, alarmed at his presence.

"Hello." He greeted, his voice neutral, but in keeping with the seriousness he held her trespass, "What are you doing in my ship?"

"I-I'm sorry," she rambled, "I just… I saw that someone had written on the outside, and I don't remember it being here, so I was just being nosy and, well…" she looked back at the time rotor, "I couldn't stop staring." She admitted before turning back, "I didn't mean to enter your ship without asking. Well, I guess I kinda did, but I didn't mean anything by it."

He stared at her for a moment. She was quite short, even by human standards, but he'd noticed he was rather tall this time around. Her grey-blue eyes were looking at him, showing all the remorse she held for upsetting him, even as she struggled to stop looking around the room. It was her red hair that had caught his attention though, much like it had when he'd first stepped in. He'd always loved red hair. He had to be ginger soon, right?

"What's your name?"

"Danielle," she replied quickly, "Danielle Song. I-I am sorry." She promised before turning back around, "What is this place?" She asked, the awe in her voice echoing what he'd seen on her face, "Is it your home?"

"It's called the TARDIS," He tried slowly, watching her closely for any sort of tell that she might have recognised the name. They'd stopped the Slitheen, that was true, but they weren't the only things out there. But she gave nothing away, she just couldn't keep her eyes off the room, "And yes."

She turned back to him, "Then you're an alien too?" She asked, sounding unsure of her question, "Well, an alien to me. I suppose I'm one to you, right?"

He smiled slightly. No one ever seemed to pick that up, and although it made him slightly more suspicious of her, at the same time it amused him greatly, "I guess I am, yeah." He replied.

She nodded slowly, "You're the one who took Rose, aren't you?" She asked after a pause and his face hardened slightly at the accusation.

"No, she came willingly," he all but snapped, defensive. He never took anyone against their will. He didn't want a captive, he wanted a friend.

"Oh, that's okay then," she replied and again surprised him at her willingness to believe him, "I don't blame her." She once again turned her back on him, stroking across the console with the very tips of her fingers.

"You don't?" He asked, taking a few steps towards her. He wasn't sure what he was expecting of a random human who had stumbled upon his TARDIS, but this wasn't it. There were usually questions of disbelief, even when he gave an answer they never seemed to be able to understand it or accept it. She wasn't behaving like that at all.

"No, a spaceship that's bigger on the inside?" She replied, "I mean, I never took Rose for the travelling type, but then again who knows what goes on in someone's head?"

"She's enjoyed it," he told her, keeping it to himself that he wasn't going of the young blonde's words, rather what he'd seen from her. He took another few steps towards her, "Do you know her?"

"I live underneath and to the right of her." Danielle explained, "Me and my mum moved in when I was little. We don't really hang out or anything, but she's always friendly when I see her." She shrugged, "I like Rose, I was very upset when she went missing, but I knew it wasn't Mickey."

He didn't comment on the 'Mickey' issue, instead just watched her walking around the console. She looked amazed, taken in by all the stuff he knew she wouldn't begin to understand. Her fingertips ghosted over buttons and switches, yet danced off the metal when she was certain touching something wasn't going to end well. He loved this part, he always had. Rose showed her wonder as well, but each person was different and Danielle really wasn't holding back as she made her way around the console.

When she reached her starting point once again, she tore her eyes off the console and looked at him hopefully, "How big is it?" She asked.

He smirked, "Infinite." He replied, watching her eyes widen in happiness at the prospect, "Want to see?"

She broke out into a giant grin, "Yes, please!" She cried out giddily, "You don't mind?"

"I wouldn't have offered." He replied, unable to repress his chuckles at her little dance. Her excitement was so innocent, so unrestrained and he had to add to it, "I could do one better, though." He added temptingly.

She paused, looking at him intrigued, "How?" She asked.

"You could come with us," he offered. "You, me and Rose." He walked over, flicking a switch and turning on the monitor. On it was a projection of the Earth, nothing particularly special but she practically ran to his side, "Did I mention she travels in time?" He asked offhandedly, like he wasn't quite sure.

Danielle's head practically snapped to the side, looking up at him, "Sorry, what?" She asked and he knew he had her full attention.

"We could travel the universe together, and I'd bring you back in time for tea," he replied before a frown spread on his features, "and this time I'll actually be on time." He mused.

He could tell she wanted to say yes. Her anxious shifting from one foot to the other made that painfully obvious, as did the way she seemed to be rubbing one palm with the thumb of the other hand, like she couldn't stay still. But she glanced at the door, "What about Rose?" She asked him, "I don't want to intrude if she doesn't want me too."

"It's my TARDIS," he replied, "I can invite who I like," he offered her a smile, "but you can ask her, if you like. She's just saying goodbye to her mum again."

Another moment's pause, and he watched her turn the idea over and over again in her head. He didn't know why he'd offered it to her so readily, after all it had only been a few minutes, but she'd seen the TARDIS when most others only saw a box at best. They walked past it in their everyday lives, ignored her presence and the wonders she held. This young lass had seen it, seen the potential behind her four walls, and hadn't been able to resist. So, how could he?

"Yes, please," she replied her voice soft as if she realised the uniqueness of his offer. "Yes, if it's okay with Rose, I'd love to come for a ride." And he grinned, pulling out his contemporary phone from his pocket.

"I'll give her a call," he told her, "she's been long enough." He smiled at her, and she returned it readily, "Go pack your bags, Danielle Song." Danielle grinned and rushed to the doors, pausing with her hand ready to open it.

"You know; I don't know your name." She pointed out, "If I'm going to trust you, I should ask your name."

The Doctor nodded, he could understand that. Although he was certain that if she hadn't noticed, she would have come with them anyway regardless. She'd seen the smallest glance at what the universe had to offer and she was hooked, "The Doctor."

"Alright, _Doctor,_ " She replied, not questioning it like most would, "I won't be a moment!" And she dashed out of the TARDIS, leaving him to wonder yet again why humans drew him in so tightly. She hadn't even seemed phased by his name, which even Rose had questioned at first. She hadn't asked 'Doctor Who?', or whether he had a degree or a normal human first name. She'd just accepted it the same way she seemed to have accepted the TARDIS, and he knew he had to figure her out.

 _~0~0~0~_

It had been hard saying goodbye to her mum. Rose knew that her disappearance had hurt her, she understood the fear of not knowing if she was ever coming back again. The last thing she had ever wanted was to make her mum cry. But how could Rose turn a universe down? She'd only been travelling a short while, only seen a few sights, but knowing there was so much more to experience wasn't something she could just walk away from.

The goodbyes had been hard, but she made it through them all with just a longer-than-necessary hug for her mum and a promise that she'd back in ten seconds time. She then turned to the Doctor, waiting for his cue for her to enter the TARDIS. He held the door open for her and she stepped inside, eager to see something new.

"Where to now, then?" She asked him as she turned, walking backwards towards the console.

"Ah, well, there is just one more thing we have to do," he told her. "Nothing bad, just… just something."

"Oh?" She asked, slowly to a stop with a frown, "What kind of something?"

The Doctor walked past her, flying them away and almost instantly landing on the other side, "Where are we?" She asked.

"Underneath and to the right," was his vague explanation as the door opened. Rose frowned as her neighbour dashed in, suitcase dragging behind her on two wheels. He'd meant in the flat below her and to the right, where her old schoolmate lived. Why on Earth where they here? Why did she have a suitcase?

"You didn't have to come…" Danielle started before falling to a stop, seeing Rose staring at her with a look of pure bewilderment, "Oh, you picked her up already," she commented before stepping in front of the suitcase. "Sorry, I don't want to see presumptuous, it's just in case."

She giggled, looking to the Doctor for approval for her little pun, "Get it?" He shot her an amused look and she grinned in response before giving Rose her attention again.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, looking between the two, her alarm rising, "Are you replacing me?"

"Oh, God no," Danielle quickly replied. "No, not at all. I wouldn't…" she looked at the Doctor, "I just… he asked me if I wanted to come too, but I don't want to come if you're not happy with it."

Rose turned to the Doctor, "Did you ask her?" She asked him, her tone almost accusatory, but she was mainly just very confused as he nodded.

"I did, but she was very insistent on making sure that you were happy to have her along," the Doctor replied, emphasising the fact that Danielle had only agreed to come if it was okay with Rose.

Rose looked back at Danielle. They'd gone to school together, but whereas Rose had left and got a job the moment she could, Danielle had stayed on. They'd never really talked, she'd been one of the swots who hung out together at lunch while she and her mate Shareen had snuck off and gone to the shops. They'd never fought, but that was because they very rarely talked at all.

But she could see why she'd been drawn to it. If Rose, who had never looked out of her council estate had seen the wonders of the universe because of the man inside the blue box, then of course someone as intelligent as Danielle was going to do the same. And she'd seemed a kind enough girl as well. And, if she could invite Mickey and expect the Doctor to be fine with it, then it would be selfish to say no to her, wouldn't it? After all, it was his time machine, he could bring whatever friends he wanted to. And she did appreciate the fact that Danielle hadn't wanted to step on her toes. Plus, she could show off for once.

"Well, I guess it would be nice to have someone on my side." Rose admitted and she had to smile as Danielle all but cheered, dragging her suitcase up the ramp. It wasn't a big thing, one of those ones Rose would have used for a weekend away, but it was like it didn't weigh a thing.

"Oh, this is going to be fantastic," Danielle gushed, "Can we go to the Moon?"

"The Moon?" The Doctor scoffed, "All of time and space and you choose the _M_ _oon_?"

"What? It's like, right there half of the time!" She exclaimed, jabbing her finger in the air in case he didn't know where the sky was, "It just sits there, teasing me. I want to see it!"

Rose slowly joined them, and the Doctor could tell that she still wasn't sure about the presence of the new girl. But not only had she seen the TARDIS, but the blue box had let her in without a key, something she definitely wasn't known to do. It was like she was tempting him with the red-head, and he'd always been a sucker for temptation. He could get to know her, see if she was anything more than she seemed, while Rose could have a friend to travel with and he could show off to another person. And, should something more be behind Danielle, she'd be with him for him to deal with.

But, for now, he had to ensure that Rose was happy with her. He grinned, "No, not the Moon," he dismissed, shooting Rose that smug smirk that he knew he would get in return. And he did; she knew that he was planning something amazing, and it hooked her in just like it had done the first time, "Somewhere _better_."

 _~0~0~0~_

 _So, hi, welcome to my new story! I was feeling a bit stagnated writing Danni when my Australian Friend (that's her name, and she knows this) suggested this little gem and it really caught my attention. So, here's a brand new AU for you all._

 _Unlike the main Danni story it has no schedule at all. One week you may get three updates, then none for a month (unlikely to be like that, but you get the idea), but I'll still be doing the original story once a week where possible. This is just a side story :)_

 _Until next time, my sweets :) x_


	2. Dalek Part 1

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, a frown on his face as he looked around the dark room. There were display cases everywhere, even if they were too dimly lit to be able to see what was inside. Rose followed, also curious about why they weren't heading to the extraordinary planet he'd promised them.

"So what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked, stepping out of the way for Danielle to follow.

"Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course." The Doctor replied thoughtfully. Danielle stuck her head out of the doors, not sure what she would find. Even though she was inside a box that was infinitely bigger on the inside than showed on the outside, and even though said box moved from the street to the hallway in her flat, she still didn't quite believe they'd go anywhere. And yet, here they were, somewhere completely new.

"We've moved." She breathed, taking a moment to appreciate stepping out onto new ground. Her foot hovered for just a moment before she placed it down on the carpet outside. It felt solid underneath her foot. It was real, the ground was real. The new ground was real and they'd moved!

Rose and the Doctor shared a look, both amused at the new girl's reaction. Rose felt like she'd been at this for years compared to her. Yes, the sights were still amazing and wondrous and new, but to see someone experience it for the first time was also something she decided she rather liked.

"Yes, we have." The Doctor agreed, once again happy he'd been so impulsive. She was reacting just like he thought she would; more so even. She wasn't scared, just amazed as she looked around. She didn't say any more than her whispered words, though, instead taking the time to take it all in - whatever 'all' was at this point.

"Where are we?" Rose asked.

"Earth. Utah, North America." The Doctor rattled off with great ease and Danielle turned to look at him, "About half a mile underground."

"Utah?" She repeated, "My mum's somewhere around here." Maybe she could drop in on her as a surprise? No, that didn't seem like the best idea once she'd thought on it. After all, then she would have to explain about the alien she'd hitched a ride with, which she didn't think would go down too well.

Rose smirked slightly. This was her favourite part and she could see why the Doctor always liked to show off about it, "And _when_ are we?"

Danielle's head snapped around from looking around the darkened room to look at the Doctor expectedly. They can't have…

"Two thousand and twelve." He replied and Danielle's eyes widened in surprise. Rose turned to her, enjoying every minute of showing off to the other girl.

"God, that's so close." She commented, "How old would we be?"

Danielle took a moment to think about it, "Um, 26, I think?" She replied softly, "We've moved. We've actually moved."

Rose bumped into her side, "Oh, you'll get the hang of it." She promised. The Doctor suppressed a smile at Rose being so accepting so quickly, although once again he had to wonder why they had both taken to the young woman with such ease. Rose he could understand, because they had grown up together. He still had to put down his reluctance to leave her behind down to his curiosity over how she'd managed to not only notice the TARDIS, but had been allowed into it.

He spotted a light switch and decided that it was time to see just where they were. He flicked it, illuminating the hallway that stretched out in front of them for what seemed like miles. The walls were still dark but a yellow carpet lead the way between two lines of display cases.

"Blimey," Rose breathed as they all took in the vastness of the room, "It's a great big museum."

"An alien museum," The Doctor agreed as the trio started moving through the exhibits. Danielle frowned as she looked in a few of them, frowning all the more. Each had a little tag on the glass explaining what the item was, where it was found and how much for. No more information than that, which didn't seem quite right either.

"Someone's got a hobby," The Doctor continued, peering in a few himself, "They must have spent a fortune on this." He nodded to each display as he quickly worked out what each of them were, "Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the milometer from the Roswell spaceship."

Rose approached a large three-fingered green arm that Danielle had walked past, her surprise on her face, "That's a bit of Slitheen!" She explained, her nose crinkling up in disgust, "That's a Slitheen's arm. It's been stuffed."

The Doctor nodded, turning to spot where Danielle had wandered to. She was stood in front of a robotic head, a deep frown on her face as she looked it over. She obviously didn't recognise it, but he would know those cold, hollow eyes anywhere, "Oh, look at you," he breathed, walking up to her side.

"What is it?" Rose asked, joining the pair at the case.

"A Cyberman," Danielle replied lowly, reading the label. "Found in 1985, bought for 1.6 million dollars," she looked up at the Doctor, "this isn't a museum, it's a trophy room, isn't it?"

"What makes you say that?" He asked, surprised at the slight anger in her voice.

"Well, there's no people," she replied, motioning around them, "no guards, not even a night watchman or something. And these labels only say how much they are." She pointed behind them, "That arm, Slitheen thing? Was, like, five hundred thousand dollars or something," she pointed back, "I know that moon dust was more than I'll ever see in my lifetime. There's no information on what they are, what significance they had. It's just all showing off."

"That's a very good point," the Doctor replied, surprised he'd not noticed it sooner, "it's not very educational, is it?" Danielle shook her head.

"We're half a mile underground. Why have a museum no one could access?" She added.

"So we're in someone's house?" Rose asked, motioning to the Cyberman head they'd both been drawn to, "Is that where the signal's coming from?"

The Doctor shook his head, "Nah, it's stone dead," he replied, "The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help." He reached out, almost as if he wanted to stroke the long-dead head of one of his enemies. The stuff of nightmares, on display just like a trophy.

The moment his fingertips brushed against the glass, an alarm went off, the doors flying open. About a dozen armed guards rushed in, all in camouflage gear to surround the trio.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A," Rose pointed out lowly. The Doctor couldn't help but agree, shooting the guards a sheepish smile.

"If this is the trophy room, what could they be doing to something that's alive?" Danielle asked in a quiet voice and the Doctor couldn't help but feel he was about to find out very soon.

 _~0~0~0~_

Nothing so far had been exactly what Danielle would call a promising experience. Being dismissed by a man in a suit deciding he was a big shot was never pleasant experience, then she was bundled off with Rose to sit with a rather nerdy man that immediately took an interest in the blonde. Danielle wasn't particularly jealous of the attention, Adam wasn't exactly her type, but no one liked to be ignored when the person they were with was getting all the attention.

Of course, Adam wasn't content with showing off what appeared to be lumps of trash to Rose. No, he wanted to show her the secret that Van Statten had hidden underneath the ground. A metal creature that was being treated appallingly. Rose looked horrified at the sight on the screen, but Danielle felt anger rising up in her at the sight.

"They're torturing it!" She exclaimed, turning to look at Adam accusingly, "What the hell is going on?"

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose added because they'd all expected him to be in there as well.

Adam looked just as surprised as they did, "I-I don't know."

"Take us down there now," Rose demanded and Danielle agreed with her, the pair of women heading to the door, both on a mission now. Rose wanted to find out what was going on so she could tell the Doctor, Danielle wanted to make sure that the poor creature was all right. No one deserved to be treated like that.

Adam held the guards back, showing them his card that gave him permission to get in pretty much everywhere. Rose hesitated in the doorway, knowing that even an alien that seemed good might not have the best intentions. Danielle hadn't had that experience, though. The first alien she had ever met had promised to take her on a trip to see something amazing.

"Don't get too close." Adam warned her even as she approached the metal creature. It was much taller than her, much wider with an angled base. Its eyestalk focused on them all, glowing a magnificent blue colour and it was chained in place so it couldn't escape. The air around it felt both intimidating and incredibly sad and it broke Danielle's heart.

"H-hello, I'm Danielle," she greeted it nervously, not paying any attention to Adam's warning, "I'm sorry you're stuck here, and I'm sorry they're causing you so much pain. Can you tell me your name?" The creature didn't answer, "Is-Is there anything we can do?"

Another pause, "Yes," the creature declared in a computerised voice.

"I'm-I'm sorry?" Danielle replied and the creature raised its eyestalk, as if it was looking straight at her.

"I am in pain," The creature replied in the same robotic voice. "They torture me, but still they fear me. Do you fear me?"

She shook her head, "No, of course not," she promised. "Some people fear what they don't understand, but some of us find it fascinating. What's your name?" She tried again.

"I am dying," it replied instead, lowering its eyestalk and she shook her head, glancing back at Rose. The blonde had joined her, if not stood slightly behind her. She could see why the Doctor had been so quick to invite her with them when all she wanted to do was help.

"No, no we can help," Danielle quickly reassured. "There's this man, the Doctor, who helped save the Earth before. He can help you too."

"I welcome death," The creature lamented and tears built up in Danielle's vision. No one should ever want to die, human or not. It raised its eyestalk once more, "but I am glad that before I die I have met a human who was not afraid."

Danielle shook her head, "I'm not afraid," she promised, "and I'm so sorry, sweetie. You'll be fine, we'll get you free."

"My race is dead, and I shall die alone," the creature continued sadly, and Danielle stepped forward, wanting to offer some comfort. She couldn't exactly hug it, but the creature had been in chains, tortured and left alone to die.

Adam's eyes widened as she reached out to touch the creature, remembering what had happened to the technician who had touched it first, "Danielle, no!" He shouted, but it was too late. Danielle rested a hand on the creature's head, and was immediately burnt by it. She yanked her hand away, crying out in pain as her handprint appeared on the metal, burning brightly.

"Get back!" Rose cried, grabbing Danielle who was staring at the creature with her eyes wide as, even in a metal case, the creature suddenly seemed to spring to life.

"Genetic material extrapolated," it cried. Its voice was no longer filled with sorrow, but with victorious lift as it got louder and louder, "initiate cellular reconstruction!" The creature began to move, the chains holding it down falling away like they were made of paper.

One of the guards rushed in, the drill it had used to torture the creature in hand, "What the hell have you done?" He snapped as he made his way over to it.

"I-I don't know, I just touched it!" Danielle defended as he stood in front of the robot. The creature raised it plunger-like appendage up.

"What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?" The guard scoffed. There was barely a moment between his mock and the creature doing just that, covering his nose and mouse and it sucked his face into the sucker.

"No!" Danielle shouted, rushing forward only to be brought back to Rose's side. "No, I didn't mean…"

"We have to go," Rose told her, dragging her out as tears started streaming down Danielle's face, but not for the sadness the creature had shown.

"It's killing him!" Rose demanded as she approached the guard at the comms desk. Another pointed a gun at the creature, but Danielle really didn't think it would do anything. Its metal case had felt so sturdy until it had burnt her, "Do something!"

"I-I didn't mean for him to die," Danielle whimpered as the man's screams tapered off, "I just wanted to help."

"Condition red! Condition red! I repeat, this is not a drill!" The guard called over the comms, declaring it to the whole underground bunker. Rose glanced over her shoulder at Danielle, who was hugging herself and in tears.

"Come here," she said quietly, pulling the other woman in for a hug. She remembered being on Satellite One very clearly. How overwhelming the experience had been, how far away from home and tiny she had felt. She was blaming herself for what had happened, but it wasn't her fault. Rose felt completely to blame because she had been doing this longer, she should have kept Danielle back, "It's not your fault."

"It seemed so sad," she whimpered, "I just wanted to help."

" _You've got to keep it in that cell._ " They both glanced at the screen to see the Doctor and Van Statten in another room, the Doctor looking serious and grim.

"It's all my fault," Danielle told him quickly, "I didn't mean it, I didn't know it'd kill anyone."

"I've sealed the compartment," the guard told the other man, "it can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations."

" _A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat,_ " the Doctor quickly dismissed.

"Then what do we do?" Rose asked, "It just killed that guy!"

" _You have to get out of there,_ " the Doctor told them, " _the Dalek won't spare you, just get out of there._ "

"We have to stop it." Danielle stepped in front of the camera, looking incredibly upset if not determined, "This is my fault, I touched it and it got free. I can't just run."

" _If you don't you'll die,_ " he told her bluntly.

 _~0~0~0~_

A lot of people died to save the trio, and each one felt like a stab into Danielle's heart. She'd never meant for any of this to happen, all she had wanted to do was offer comfort to a creature that seemed to have had none. They'd watched it be tortured, but due to her actions, her naivety, there were dead soldiers littered the hallways of the underground bunker.

The woman, De Magio, who had been assigned to look after them had sent them up some stairs, dying in the process of saving them and once they reached the top, Danielle found herself unable to run anymore. Her chest hurt, her eyes stung and the sobs she'd been trying to hold in broke out. She stopped, stumbling in her step and Rose spun around to catch her.

"I just wanted to help," Danielle sobbed, "all I wanted to do was make it feel better."

"I know, but we can't stop," Rose quickly replied, "it'll kill us too." Danielle nodded, although Rose wasn't sure if she was nodding in agreement to run, or that she wanted it to kill her.

"Look," Rose told her, "I know that you thought you were helping, and that's good, it really is. But we know now that we can't, and dying isn't going to change that. You didn't kill anyone, the Dalek did, and we need to keep running until the Doctor can do something about it, yeah?"

Danielle looked at her newfound friend, her brows furrowing slightly, "Why does the Doctor have to do it?" She asked softly.

"Because, that's what he does," Rose replied, "I've seen him do it. He'll stop the Dalek; all we have to do is stay alive until then."

Danielle glanced forward at Adam, who looked anxious to keep running but unwilling to leave Rose behind. Rose was right, they had to keep moving, but as they all set off running once again, she couldn't help but think back on Rose's words, "Who helps him?" She asked through her panting.

"What?" Rose asked, confused as they turned another corner.

"Who helps the Doctor?" She asked as they ran through an open area where more soldiers were waiting for the Dalek to appear. They were ushered through to the back of the room.

"Who helps the Doctor what?" Rose whispered.

' _Fight the bad guys_ ' - that was what Danielle wanted to ask her. If they were busy running, and in her very short time with the Doctor there didn't appear to be anyone else with him, then who helped him fight the bad guys? It didn't seem particularly fair for him to carry the weight of the people he might not have saved in time on his shoulders.

But she didn't say that. The Dalek rolled into the open area, shining underneath the artificial light the illuminated the room. All three of them held their breath as it stopped, it's eyepiece turning until, much to Danielle's surprise, it seemed to focus on her. For a moment they stared at each other, then Rose grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the impending fight.

"Keep up," Rose told her firmly and Danielle brought her attention back to their escape. She was so certain, but it was impossible, right? For that brief moment before they'd started running, she was sure that the Dalek wasn't just looking at her, but it was looking for her. And that wasn't a pleasant feeling at all.

 _~0~0~0~_

The door was closing and they all ran as fast as they can. The Doctor couldn't save them, he needed to shut the bulkhead to keep the Dalek away from the rest of the universe and all three of them knew that he was right, despite how much they really didn't want to be trapped down with the killer robot.

Adam was faster. He was through the door before it had even reached head height and he fell to a stop, panting heavily and full of relief.

Rose was next. She had to duck, practically chucking herself on the ground but she made it through with barely any time at all. Her phone flew out of her hand, scraping across the floor but she made it through.

Danielle performed a similar move, falling to the floor at roughly the same time, her knees scraping across the stone floor as she yelled in pain. However, unlike Rose, she didn't make it through the door, instead she slammed straight into the metal as it shut in front of her. She turned on the spot, scrambling up as she stared at the Dalek that came around the corner after them.

"Rose, did you make it?" The Doctor demanded over the phone at the sound of it clattering across the floor. His hearts pounded heavily in his chest at the uncertain fate of his two charges.

" _Let her out_!" He heard Rose scream from far away, " _It's going to kill her, let her out!_ "

"Rose!" He shouted, hoping that if she heard even a small murmur of his voice she'd pick up the phone again, "Rose!"

There was the unmistakable noise of a phone being picked up, and then he could hear panting breath on the other side, " _Doctor, she's still on the other side! We can't just leave her there!_ "

The Doctor's hearts plummeted, the reality of what was happening hitting him with full force. He'd just picked her up from her little human life, and instead of showing the red-head the wonders of the universe like he had with Rose, instead he'd just got her killed. A young girl, barely 19, and she was just going to die. And it was all because of him, because he couldn't keep his curiosity under control.

She had just seemed so in awe of his TARDIS. Not scared, or confused, or demanding of an explanation. She had just looked around the room like she was happier to know that his not-so-little blue box existed. That was what it was, and was more than likely the reason that the TARDIS had let her in to begin with. Even Rose saw her as a means from one place to another; the old girl probably liked someone just happy to see her.

" _Danni!_ " He could hear Rose shouting, banging on the door, " _Danielle, we'll get you out…. What?_ "

He perked up somewhat, knowing that Rose had heard the girl say something and for a moment, he let himself feel the hope as well.

" _Exterminate!_ " And then he was devastated. There was no mistaking what had happened, even if the sound of the war cry was so distant.

"Rose, we have to go!" Adam told the now crying woman and the Doctor pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up and letting it drop to his side. That was it. No hope of saving her now, she was dead. He'd killed her. It was all his fault. A 19-year-old woman ready to explore the universe, and she was dead because of him.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Such a lovely response already, my inbox is just full of emails and I can't think you enough for giving this a shot. Not used to doing AUs like this, so I hope it's going okay :)_

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	3. Dalek Part 2

Rose rushed into Van Statten's office before Adam, visibly upset and her eyes darting for the Doctor before she'd even taken in where she was. All she knew was that she had to find the Doctor, because he could save Danielle. They- They could take the TARDIS, or something, she didn't know! But the Doctor could save her. Danielle had barely been with them for a few hours, she deserved better.

First, though, the pair hugged each other. It was brief, but it was needed and then Rose pulled away to get back to the matter at hand, "It killed her!" She exclaimed, "What do we do?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "but we've got it cornered, we can still stop it. She won't have to have died in vain."

That wasn't exactly the news Rose was hoping for, but then again she should have known better than think they could save her from a death they knew about. The Doctor had talked about cause and effect in the past, about how it meant that going back and changing things could have disastrous consequences. That poor girl...

"She-She told me to tell you something," she said to the Doctor, who just looked at her expectantly. Rose had already been so worried about the other woman, but the words she had said through the door had caused the blonde to start crying before the Dalek had fired. "She said to tell you she was sorry, and that you shouldn't worry, everything will be okay."

They were hard words to hear. The Doctor looked ready to both break down in despair and destroy everything in a rage, but Rose wanted her last words heard. She knew that Danielle had to have been terrified, but her last thoughts had been for the alien that had brought them there, and not how she was going to be killed by the alien that she had been trapped with.

" _Open the bulkhead or Danielle Song dies._ "They all spun on the spot, amazed at the mechanical voice that came across from the speakers on the screen. The Dalek had turned the camera on and was now on the screen with its laser pointed at a very much alive Danielle. Both he and Rose ran up to the screen.

"You're alive!" The Doctor cried, relief pouring through him at the grimace of a smile she shot up at the camera, hoping he would see it.

" _Yeah, seems that way,_ " she replied. "A _re you okay, sweetie?"_

He blinked slightly, surprised that she was more concerned about him than asking if she was going to be saved. He nodded slowly, "I thought you were dead."

" _Don't worry, everything will be okay._ "

" _Open the bulkhead!_ "The Dalek demanded and Danielle immediately shook her head.

" _You can't!_ " She exclaimed, " _Don't let it out!"_

But he couldn't leave her to die again. She didn't deserve that, as was proven by the fact that she was so willing to die to stop the Dalek getting free. He couldn't watch her die, he couldn't be responsible for that again, and so he opened the bulkheads. He glanced down at Rose to make sure that he'd done the right thing, and the giant grin that was shot up at him proved that he had done just that.

"What do we do now, you bleeding heart," Van Statten raged at him. "What the hell do we do?"

"Kill it when it gets here." Was Adam's reply.

"All the guns are useless, and the alien weapons are in the vault." Goddard pointed out cynically, to which the Englishman shot them all a sheepish grin, one that had both the Doctor and Rose intrigued.

"Only the catalogued ones." He explained.

The Doctor nodded, "Rose, you stay here and wait for Danielle," He commanded, to which she agreed readily. He turned to Adam. "You, show me."

 _~0~0~0~_

Danielle had really been convinced she was about to die. She'd pressed herself up against the door, hands flat against the cold metal as the Dalek had pointed its weapon at her and cried ' _Exterminate!'_.

"No, please!" She'd begged and then, a moment later, she had realised she was alive. She opened her eyes to see the Dalek still aiming at her but no laser had been fired at her. That was when she realised there was something more to what was happening than she had thought. The Dalek didn't kill her, maybe it didn't _want_ to kill anymore. Maybe its instincts were overriding the morals it wanted to follow. Perhaps there was still hope.

The Doctor had let it out, although now she was not so worried about it as she had been. She still did what she was told when it directed her into a lift, she wasn't stupid to follow what was a hunch, but her nerves had been eased slightly by the unexpected behaviour.

"Thank you," she told the creature after a long, uncomfortable silence, "for not killing me." It turned its whole headpiece, staring at her through the eyestalk.

"Why are you alive?" It asked, voice harsh but obviously concerned, "My function is to kill. What am I? _What am I?_ " She shook her head.

"I don't know," she replied, "but maybe you're better now?" It didn't answer. She shuffled slightly under its piercing stare before it turned its head to the door again. A moment later and they were staring into an office where Rose, Goddard and Van Statten were stood.

She held her hands up, trying to reassure the girl she'd gone to school with, "It's okay, you're safe," she quickly told them all, "it didn't kill me, it won't kill you either."

The Dalek rolled out into the room, aiming straight for the man that had kept it prisoner, "Van Statten. You tortured me," it accused, backing the man towards his desk, " _Why?_ "

Van Statten shook his head, hands up and obviously terrified, "I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!" He rambled in panic. Danielle took another look at Rose, checking that she was still okay, if not slightly scared. Not that she would blame the blonde; Danielle was terrified as well. As much as it seemed that the Dalek was having a change of heart, or at least a conflict of conscious, that didn't mean that it wouldn't turn on anyone. She just had to believe that, in the end, it wouldn't want to harm another creature.

"Then hear me talk now. _Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!_ " The Dalek cried, aiming at Van Statten, who braced himself to be killed.

"No, no please!" Danielle cried, rushing in front of the man and standing between the Dalek and Van Statten. "Please, don't kill anyone else. There's another way."

The Dalek stared again through its eyestalk, "Another way?" It asked slowly and she nodded.

"There's always another way," she explained, although this was coming from her own sense of beliefs rather than experience. She'd never liked guns, but then again she'd never actually seen one in real life until today. "You don't have to kill to get what you want. We can work it out together," she reached out placing a hand again on its shell, although this time it didn't burn her, "whatever you want, we can work it out without killing anyone."

It looked over her shoulder at Van Statten, then back at her, "I want freedom."

She blinked for a moment, surprised at the answer and the pain in its voice. She slowly nodded, "I can understand that," she replied softly. "Do you want to see outside?"

Rose, who had also picked up that the Dalek appeared to be at war with itself, walked up to Danielle, "I don't think that's a good idea," she hissed, "it's killed a lot of people."

"It was trapped and tortured," Danielle replied, "you can't blame it for its programming. Maybe this will help, maybe it won't, but we have to try." Rose didn't reply for a moment, pondering Danielle's words. They seemed incredibly soft-hearted, but then again it was exactly that trait that had pushed the Doctor into raising the bulkheads and freeing her from the Dalek in the first place.

She turned to Van Statten, "Where can we take it to see outside?" She asked.

Goddard took a step forward, "The only way out is upwards," she explained, "on level one."

 _~0~0~0~_

It was quite pathetic, when Danielle thought on it. The shell of the Dalek opened, and the creature inside was barely anything at all. So much hatred coming from what looked like a little blob of flesh that looked up at the stream of sunlight she and Rose had found like it had never felt it on its skin before. All that hate and violence seemed almost understandable when it seemed like the creature had never even seen the light of day before. How else would it know any different?

It was quite a sight, actually, and despite the death and destruction that had preceded it, Danielle was quite happy to have seen it. Both she and Rose stood together in front of it, silent and solemn as it basked in the warmth and the light. How can something so tiny have killed so many people?

" _Get out of the way!_ " They both turned to see the Doctor, armed with a massive gun, pointing it in their direction. He had a look of pure determination on his face, and both of them froze on the spot, surprised by the happy northern gangly man who had brought them there. "Rose, Danielle, get out of the way. Now!" He commanded, shifting the gun to get a better hold of it.

Danielle shook her head, taking a step to her side to stand in front of the Dalek and Rose squared up to him, "No, 'cause we won't let you do this," she warned the other alien.

"That _thing_ killed hundreds of people," he spat.

"It's not the one pointing the gun at us," Rose retorted. She knew that there had been a war that had destroyed his planet, but this was a side to the man she had never seen before. Even with the Gelth he'd just wanted to save as many people as he could. He really hadn't believed the horror that had come after it was going to happen. But the man with the gun in front of her seemed like an entirely different man, and one she had already seen he was better than.

Danielle, on the other hand, had never seen anything beyond the last few hours. She'd seen a killer robot, and enough death to last a lifetime. For all she knew she could have jumped into a ship with another killer alien and she was deeply starting to regret her decision.

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it," the Doctor replied, keeping his eyes focused on the Dalek and not the two women in front of him. "The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."

And Danielle understood. She could see it in him, he didn't want to do this anymore than they wanted him to. The way he held the gun, the way he shook, the way he desperately didn't want to look at them out of the shame of his actions told her perfectly what she was seeing. The way he tried to reason his actions with desperation in his voice. A man doing what he thought he had to, but not what he thought was right.

She took a step forward, much to the surprise of Rose, hands going to her hips and Rose had seen that pause a million times before. It was the pose that Jack Tyler pulled out when she'd not done her homework, or stayed out too late, or snuck a boy into her bedroom; Danielle was going to tell him off.

"It's not going to bring it back, is it?" She snapped, having no knowledge of the horror he had been through at all. "This is you, acting like you have orders, but you don't!"

"You don't understand…" The Doctor started. He hadn't told her about the War like he had Rose, she didn't know what the Daleks had done.

"I understand perfectly! You're falling back onto what you think you should do, too scared to follow your own instincts," Rose had to push her lips together. Danielle really looked like her mum in that moment. Alright, Jackie probably wouldn't have used such big words, opting to tell her daughter what an idiot she was being instead, but she knew that fire anywhere. "You know who does that? Cowards!"

The Doctor lowered the gun slightly, "I am _not_ a coward!" He protested

"Oh yeah?" Danielle challenged, stepping out of the way to show him the creature inside the Dalek. "Does that look like anything that could destroy your people? Does it look anything that could even kill the people downstairs? Look at it!"

The Doctor did, and his gun lowered further in his own confusion, "What's it doing?"

"It's the sunlight," Rose spoke up as she stepped back into the conversation, seeing that Danielle's point had been seen. The poor thing didn't know any better, but both of them saw it for the lonely, sad creature it was. This wasn't a threat; it was just incredibly sad. "That's all it wants."

The Doctor shook his head in complete disbelief, "But it's can't…"

"Well, it does," Danielle interrupted, "it's changing, it's starting to understand. All it wants is a little freedom, that's why it didn't kill me. You're the one pointing a gun at a creature that just wants a little sunlight!"

The Doctor looked between the two. The red-head with passion written on her face, and the blonde with disgusted horror as she looked at him holding a gun pointed in their direction. Neither of them were scared of the Dalek anymore, they were scared of _him_. It was a horrid feeling, and the gun was forgotten as it fell to his side.

"I couldn't…" He stuttered, trying to explain himself, "I wasn't…" He looked between them to, "They're all dead." He declared, hearts breaking at saying it out loud.

"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked, its voice broken now it was no longer in its shell. Danielle turned to look at it.

"I don't know," The Doctor replied, honestly and also apologetically. That feeling of loneliness wasn't something he'd wish on his worst enemy, and that was the Dalek in front of him.

"I am the last of the Daleks," it declared and Danielle reached out, resting a hand on its shell. She wished she could help more, but she was completely out of her depth. She knew nothing of Daleks, or any aliens for that matter. All she could do was offer a little comfort when she could.

"You're not even that," the Doctor replied solemnly, "Danielle did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."

"Into what?" The Dalek asked.

"Something new," he declared, "I'm sorry."

Rose looked at him, confused as to why they both sounded so devastated by that, "Isn't that better?"

"Not for a Dalek," the Doctor explained.

"I can feel," the Dalek declared slowly, "so many ideas. So much darkness. Danielle," the red-head started slightly at being addressed, "give me orders. Order me to die."

She shook her head, looking to the Doctor for help then back at the creature, "No, no I can't…"

"This is not life! This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction!" Tears welled up in her eyes. " _Obey! Obey! Obey!_ "

Danielle just stared at it for a long moment, her heart breaking to see something in so much pain, and because of her. She reached out, brushing her fingertips against one of its tentacles, "I'm sorry, sweetie," she whispered, "I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to help." She swallowed, then nodded. "Okay. I order you."

The Doctor watched her as she stroked the Dalek, seeing the compassion on her face as she did something he wouldn't have wished on anyone. She'd had so much curiosity pouring out of her, he'd just wanted to find out where it would lead. Now all he could see was it leading her back to her house.

"Are you frightened, Danielle Song?" It asked and she shook her head.

"Only for you, sweetie," she replied softly.

"So am I," It replied.

"It'll be alright. You'll be alright, sweetie," she promised although she didn't believe it for a moment.

"Exterminate," it said pathetically, then it's eye closed. She watched for a moment longer, before reaching out and grabbing Rose's hand. The two women ran to the Doctor's side and the Dalek was no more.

 _~0~0~0~_

Rose was somewhere in the TARDIS, showing Adam around the gigantic ship that Danielle still hadn't seen. She had thought to tag along, but they had both dashed off into the hallway before she could even ask. Apparently they wanted some alone time. Danielle frowned to herself; she hoped it wasn't _too_ much alone time. Was she even still with Mickey? She wasn't sure, but Danielle had seen how much Mickey had missed her.

But it was none of her business, so she'd stayed in the console room with the Doctor, watching him play with the controls like he knew what he was doing with them. He did it was such great ease, it was rather mesmerising to watch, like an engineer working with something only they knew how it worked. That was probably the case, she supposed.

He was also pointedly not looking at her. Not in a mean way, in fact like he was too ashamed to look at her. The whole experience had shaken them all, and despite the way he was acting, it must have gotten to him too.

She took a couple of steps towards him, "If we're going to travel together, we should probably know more about each other," she told him and he paused what he was doing to look at her. "I mean, all I know is your name, and all you know is mine."

He nodded slowly, "That is true," he agreed, "if you want to stay, that is."

She smiled and nodded, "My name is Danielle Song," she offered, and he blinked in surprise as she sat down on the pilot seat. He'd expected her to ask him about the Time War, about his people and the Daleks, but she wasn't. She was offering information on herself to show that she was willing to stay, and he couldn't help but smile at the school-girl like way she was rattling off what she wanted to tell him, "I'm nineteen years old, and I was born in Lancashire, but I've lived in London most of my life. I'm doing English Literature at University. My dad ran off before I was born, but my mum is an archaeologist, that was why she's in Utah. Her name is Melanie Song, she's very nice when she's around, but I think she forgets I exist when she's not. I can't ride a bike, despite many attempts to, and I've always hated the dark. _But_ , I'm a fantastic baker."

The Doctor chuckled at her little biography, leaning against the console as he listened to her. He nodded as she grinned at the end, obviously waiting for his in return, "I'm the Doctor and I'm a Time Lord," he started slowly, with much more seriousness than she did. "I'm 900 years old and I'm from Gallifrey," he shook his head, "this seems very strange."

"I know, just go with it," she encouraged.

"My planet is gone, it burnt in a war between my people and the Daleks and I'm the only one left," he carefully watched her expression for anything that might have suggested she had known this already, but she just looked incredibly sad at the news, so he continued. "I suppose my recent history is that I met Rose chasing down a race of living plastic that were attempting to take over the Earth, and she helped stop them. And, no matter how great a baker you are, no one can beat my banana bread."

The idea of being the last one of anything sounded horrible, and as much as he tried to put a comedic spin on his words, Danielle could see the hurt that was behind those words.

"No, that's definitely not true at all," Danielle retorted, following his lead and going for the light-hearted portion of his biography, " _no one_ makes banana bread like me."

He raised an eyebrow, "That sounds like a challenge."

She nodded, hopping off the pilot seat, "That's because it is," she replied, "this 'infinite' time machine must have a kitchen."

"Alright," The Doctor replied, standing up with his hands out like he was surrendering, "but don't get upset when you realise just how inferior yours is."

She strode purposefully towards the hallway Rose and Adam had disappeared into even though she had no idea where she was going, "Not a chance, Spaceman," she told him, "you'll see. I'm fantastic."

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Thank you all so much for the kind uptake on this story! It's really made me smile to see all the favourites/follows and the reviews. I hope you all liked this chapter too :)_

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	4. The Long Game Part 1

"Why can't I go out first?" Danielle groaned in annoyance, hoping from one side to another, "I want to see somewhere new! You two got to go out first last time!"

The Doctor just shot her amused look. He loved the enthusiasm of his friends that travelled with him, and having someone show it so openly was very refreshing and very contagious.

"Because we have to check we are in the right place," the Doctor lied, following Rose's wishes. She wanted to impress Adam, but she didn't want him to know that she didn't really know anything just yet. He was just going to give her a quick briefing so she could show off, just like he liked to do.

Danielle didn't look too impressed by his answer, so he sighed. "Next time you can go first, no matter where we are, how about that?"

"Fine," Danielle grumbled. "Next time."

Rose shot the Doctor a grateful look and they headed out together. Danielle and Adam stood together a bit awkwardly as they waited for their cue to leave. Danielle shuffled impatiently from one foot to the other whilst Adam just looked a bit queasy.

"Do you really think there's something out there?" He asked her. "Something… _alien?"_

"I hope so," Danielle retorted, "I was promised somewhere alien last time and I ended up in Utah," she realised that could have sounded like a slight towards him, so she shot him a smile. "At least we found you there, eh?"

All she got was another queasy smile in return, then the door opened. "Adam? Danielle? Out you come," Rose called in and Danielle didn't waste any time. She pushed in front of the Adam even though he wasn't trying to get out of the TARDIS quickly at all, dashing out of the door and pausing to look around. The room was made up of different types of metals but just looked incredibly industrial. Weirdly shaped bollards were lined up in front of them, obviously to control the footfall that may appear. She turned and saw a giant '5' on the wall on what looked like a sheet of giant bubble wrap. The floor they were on, maybe?

It didn't look particularly amazing, but at the same time Danielle couldn't help but be completely amazed by it. There was some sort of miniature building in the middle of the room with lights on its roof, but it looked closed so she wasn't expecting anymore to suddenly appear.

"Oh, my God," Adam whispered behind her and she nodded.

"This is _so_ cool," she agreed. "Where are we?"

Rose shared a look with the Doctor, a smirk on her face. She could impress both of them. Danielle had always been smarter than here at school, but now she was the one with all the knowledge. "Good question," she replied. "Let's see. So, er, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year two hundred thousand. If you listen," she paused and Adam did just that.

"Yeah?"

Rose nodded to herself like she had heard something. "Engines. We're on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station," she then frowned, looking around and playing with the collar of her jacket. "It's a bit warm in here. They could turn the heating down."

She pretended to catch sight of a gate on the other side, like she hadn't noticed it beforehand. "Tell you what - let's try that gate. Come on!" She patted Adam on the arm on the way past and he followed dutifully, stunned by the information that was thrown at him. The Doctor grinned, pleased that Rose was having a good time and slowly followed as well. He then paused, turning to look at Danielle, who hadn't moved.

"Danielle?" He asked and she looked at him. He sent her a reassuring smile at the stunned look on her face. "Are you coming?"

She nodded, but couldn't tear her eyes off the room in much the same way she had struggled to not look at the TARDIS console room. "Two hundred thousand," she breathed before returning her gaze to the Time Lord. She grinned, like nothing could make her happier. "Really?"

He nodded, her happiness infectious. "Really," he promised her. "Come on, this way is even better."

She practically ran to his side and they walked through the gate. There was a set of metal stairs that Adam and Rose had already climbed up. Ever the gentleman, and eager to see how she would react to the view outside the space station, the Doctor motioned for Danielle to go up first.

He wasn't disappointed. While Adam stood behind the Doctor and Rose, gaping like a fish, Danielle quickly stepped forward to press her hands up against the giant window. Outside was space, actual space, and they were hovering over a, quick obviously, overpopulated planet. Clouds moved across the surface that was covered in buildings that were barely hidden by them at all.

"Your girlfriend seems eager," Rose teased lowly and the Doctor shot her look.

"Your boyfriend looks a bit lost," he retorted and Rose looked a little disappointed as she looked up at Adam and saw that he was right. Maybe it was just shock, she could understand that. Once he found out where they were, he'd be better.

"And this is…" Rose started, quickly realising she actually had no idea where they were. She motioned to the Doctor. "I'll let the Doctor describe it."

"The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire." The Doctor declared, happily taking over from her, "And there it is, planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, population ninety-six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle."

Danielle shook her head slightly in disbelief at his words. "This is _so_ cool," she repeated, pressed up against the window like she wanted to get through. "This is _so, so_ cool."

Adam, on the other hand, dropped to the floor in a dead faint behind them. "My _girlfriend_ seems to be handling it a lot better than your boyfriend," the Doctor taunted.

Rose shook her head, not even bothering to look back at the other man. "Not my boyfriend anymore." She declared.

 _~0~0~0~_

The metal room they had landed in turned out to be a food court, with the little hut-like structure Danielle had spotted earlier being where the food was sold from. One moment it was empty, and the next a rush of humans came in looking for food for their lunches. The queues were unorderly and the people were rude; just like a normal day in London, Danielle surmised.

Unfortunately, Adam also noticed the people. And the fact that they were all just people, or human in any case. Danielle hadn't really noticed it, but once it was pointed out she couldn't see past it. The Doctor also seemed rather troubled by it. The year two hundred thousand and it was obvious the entire room had been Earth born. It was a bit disappointing, actually, to not see another species. Perhaps she should suggest it later, after all his existence alone said that there had to be more.

The Doctor, very suddenly, turned from being concerned about the lack of diversity and decided to send Adam off for some food. He did look a bit ill, but probably not from hunger. He led them over to a cash point, holding what Danielle had learnt was a sonic screwdriver up to its screen. A moment later a metal stick fell out and he handed it to Adam.

"There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets." He told the other man. Adam looked over the little device, his confusion written on his face. The Doctor paid him no mind, though, heading off to investigate the little hitch in history. He was sure it was nothing, maybe it was coincidence that only the humans were hungry at this very moment. But, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"How does it work?" Adam called after him, annoying the Time Lord slightly. He turned back in his step to look at the trio.

"Go and find out." Was his advice, "Stop nagging me. The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book; you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers. Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go and do it." Adam nodded, taking the challenge and walking off to try and get something to eat. Rose hesitated, walking after him before glancing at the Doctor. He shot her a cheeky grin. "Off you go, then. Your first date."

She rolled her eyes, pointing at him as she walked away. "You're going to get a smack, you are." She warned before disappearing after Adam. The Doctor's face dropped from its jovial grin to show the concern he held for the time era they'd land in.

"Oh, that's a serious face," Danielle commented and his eyes dropped in surprise to see her stood next to him.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked. "Go on, go exploring."

Danielle snorted. "What? And be the third wheel on their 'date'?" She shook her head. "No thanks, I want to know what made you pull _that_ face."

"What face?" he asked and she mimicked it, her lips pulling into an exaggerated frown. "I did not pull that face!" he protested indignantly.

"Oh, you so did. You're worried about the fast food and the lack of aliens, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Something's not right," he admitted. "I just want to check its nothing serious

"And how do we do that?"

The Doctor quickly looked around before spotting two women heading in their direction. One was in a suit, while the other was in smart but more casual wear. They would do just nicely.

Danielle struggled to keep up with his long steps even over the short distance. "Er, this is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where we are?" he asked them politely.

The two women shared a slightly bewildered look before the one in the suit pointed behind her. "Floor One Three Nine. Could they write it any bigger?" she replied and two time travellers looked up to see the large numbers.

"What does the five mean, then?" Danielle asked, pointing back to where they'd parked. She had assumed that was the floor, after all.

"Must've been a hell of a party," the woman in the suit commented and Danielle shrugged.

"Only way to party, right?" She replied and the Doctor nodded.

The woman in the blouse smiled at them both. "You're on Satellite Five," she replied. "That's what the big five means." Danielle smiled back at her, deciding that she liked her a whole lot more than the other woman.

"What's Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked, keeping the conversation on track.

"Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?" the woman in the suit asked, obviously coming to the end of her tolerance for the conversation. The Doctor paid her no mind, motioning between him and his new friend.

"Look at us, we're stupid," he replied with a giant grin on his face.

"Hold on, wait a minute," the woman in the blouse said, looking at her friend then back at the pair. "Are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?"

Danielle frowned as the Doctor nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a black wallet. "You've got us. Well done. You're too clever for us," he held it up for them to see and Danielle dipped her head around to see what it said. Right there was an ID for him, stating his managerial position. "Well, for me anyway."

"We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion," the woman in the blouse told her friend, who straightened ready for the task.

"Right, fire away," she told the two managers. "Ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor five hundred, I'll do anything."

"Why, what happens on Floor five hundred?" the Doctor asked.

"The walls are made of gold," she replied like it was common knowledge. She then smiled at him, suddenly all flirts now that he was someone of interest to her. "And you should know, Mister Management. So, this is what we do," she walked off to the side, obviously going to show off her knowledge, whereas the other woman stayed by their side, waiting to follow on. Danielle shot her a smile, which she returned.

"What's your name, sweetie?" she asked the woman.

"Suki," she replied. "Suki Cantrell."

"Nice to meet you, Suki," Danielle replied. "I'm Danielle, or Danni."

The Doctor frowned to himself. It was nice that she was finding out their name; not only was in friendly in general and something he tended to forget, but it would make finding her a lot easier should he need to again. However, she'd never stated her name as 'Danni' before, only Danielle. Did she prefer that? He should ask, shouldn't he? After all, he'd heard Rose calling her the same back in Van Statten's base.

The other woman had lead them over to a wall of screens, each displaying something different. "Latest news," she explained. "Sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Space lane seventy-seven closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Bo has just announced he's pregnant."

"I get it. You broadcast the news," the Doctor commented, like he was expecting more from them. Danielle couldn't agree, after all she had only described what was on four of the screens, there were many more displaying other pieces of news.

The woman scoffed slightly. "We _are_ the news," she corrected. "We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. Six hundred channels."

"What about the competition?" Danielle asked, taking up the position the Doctor had put her in quite nicely. "Surely you have competitors?"

The woman in the suit let out a little chuckle. "Oh, you mean News 3400? They barely lasted three months. We are the news, there is no one else."

Both the Doctor and Danielle frowned, "What about monopolies?" Danielle pressed. The woman glanced at the Doctor. This whole line of questioning seemed a bit wrong, but they were told to question the news, not the management. But, luckily for her, the claxon signalling the end of break sounded and she didn't need to answer it at all.

 _~0~0~0~_

Being part of the 'management' team meant that they were given access to one of the information sharing session with Suki and her superior, who turned out to be called Cathica, a fact she only wanted to share now there was a chance that she was going to be promoted. The Doctor and his friend had brought two more people with them to watch her work. She'd show them, she was the best at what she did, and she deserved to be promoted to Floor five hundred.

Once she was in position, in the large chair in the middle of a circle of people, she shot them a little smirk as if to highlight the fact that she was good. Danielle stood in front of the Doctor on a raised platform around the machine they were going to use, Rose on one side and Adam on the other. The room was incredibly white and sterile, not much else to look at except the setup in front of them. It was obviously designed for one purpose and one purpose only.

"Engage safety," Cathica stated as she relaxed into the chair. The machine started humming and the small group of journalists all held their hands out over metal plates in front of them, ready for their next instruction. The walls suddenly sprung to life, one panel after another glowing with a light behind them, most likely powering the machine up.

It was all just a little… a little weird, wasn't it? Danielle couldn't quite pinpoint what was making her feel so uncomfortable, but she could tell she wasn't the only one feeling that way. Adam seemed to have calmed down slightly, but both Rose and the Doctor didn't look too pleased with the show in front of them.

Cathica lifted her hand up, clicking her fingers and Danielle grimaced. Her forehead opened up, four small panels making a circular hole on her head, her brain clearly visible through it. No one else batted an eyelid, but Adam's mouth dropped in shock as she and Rose leant forward, trying to get a better look.

The journalists all lowered their hands onto the plates in front of them. "And three, two… and spike!" Cathica ordered. From above a blue stream of light burst from a device hanging from the ceiling, straight into her brain.

"What is that?" Danielle breathed, horrified because it all just seemed so wrong.

"Compressed information," the Doctor replied. "Streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer."

Rose turned to him. "If it all goes through her; she must be a genius."

"Surely she'd be overwhelmed, though?" Danielle countered. "All that information all at once," she turned from the sight before her to look at Rose. "Remember Mrs Johnson in Biology? Just spewing out facts until the bell rang?" Rose nodded, because she did remember the class, and didn't remember much from it at all. "It's an awful way to learn anything."

The Doctor nodded, once again a little smug that his chosen companion was doing a lot better than the pretty boy Rose had chosen to bring along. It also helped that Danielle was right, "There's too much, her head would blow up," he left them on the platform, walking around the circle of people slowly. "As soon as it closes, she forgets."

Rose and Danielle slowly followed, both captivated by the concept of what was happening around them, as well as wanting to learn more. Adam, however, stayed on the platform, gawping at the new technology he was seeing.

"So, what about all these people 'round the edge?" Rose asked.

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place," he made a full circle around them, leaning on the railing of the raised platform to get a better look at Cathica, even though he knew exactly what was going on. "That's what I call power."

"Hang on, so it's not their information she's gathering?" Danielle asked, motioning to the people in front of them with a little wave of her hand. "I thought they were journalists, but they're being feed the information?" the Doctor nodded. "So there's no research? No fact-checking? _'Open, honest and beyond bias_ ', but only as much as the people giving the facts want to be? Six hundred channels, all the news, and it's all from the brain of one man?"

She wasn't shouting, and her posture didn't suggest she was angry at all. But both the Doctor and Rose could see she was getting rather worked up over the idea of someone being in control of the news, and the Doctor had to agree with her. If both Rose and Danielle could see something was wrong, both of whom had no knowledge of the time period they were in, then it just solidified his thoughts that something troubling was going on behind the scenes.

"And that's bad, yeah?" Rose asked in reply and Danielle nodded.

"Stories are knowledge," she explained. "Even early in our history, knowledge was grown from what people told each other. You found something out, told your mates, who told their mates and it went on. Multiple sources are how it grows, how we learn new things, how knowledge spreads across the world and we invent and grow as a species. The media is just a scaled up version of you and your mates around a fire, grunting about how the cave down the road had a thing called a wheel. If one person is controlling all of that from up high, then they can tell you about the fire, but not the wheel. One person controlling the flow of knowledge is how knowledge and growth is repressed."

Even Adam tore his gaze away from the open forehead of Cathica to stare at her in surprise at her impassioned rant. She flushed slightly, shrugging. "I go to university," she offered as an excuse. "Knowledge is free range there. No one appreciates being told what to learn."

Rose couldn't help but be slightly annoyed that Adam wasn't turning out to be half as interested in the new experience as Danielle was. Not that she was annoyed that the other woman had joined them, but Adam was rather cute and smart, she thought she might have actually maybe found someone she could… well, she had been gone a year, and her and Mickey weren't going anywhere now.

But she took a glance at the other human to see him back to staring at the information spike. He looked amazed, and a little bit sick at the sight and she walked back up the platform to his side. She might be disappointed, but she wasn't mean. "You alright?"

He pointed over at the woman. "I can see her brain."

She smiled softly, placing a hand on his arm to try and reassure him. "Do you want to get out?"

He shook his head, an energy about him she was rather happy to see. "No, no. This technology, it's amazing."

Danielle, who had somehow made her way back to the Doctor's side without Rose realising, tilted her head so she could look at him. "You're not serious?" She asked incredulously. "You can _see_ her _brain_! That's such bad design!" She turned back to look at the chair. "I could climb on that platform right now and jab a pen right into her brain and no one could do anything because they're all too busy transferring data to be able to notice anything outside of it! It's not amazing, it's… it's…"

"Wrong," the Doctor finished for her as she struggled to find the correct word to describe it. "This technology is wrong."

Rose couldn't help it. A smile broke out on her face as she leant closer to the Time Lord. This was more like it. "Trouble?" She asked offhandedly. The Doctor tilted her head, a matching grin of his own.

"Oh, yeah." He replied just as a small sparking sound came from the machine in front of them. Suki pulled her hands away like she had been burnt and the data stream died.

Cathica shot the other woman a bit of a glare through the headache that came with being unceremoniously chucked out from a spike. "Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway, what was that for?"

Suki continued to rub her injured hand. "Sorry, must have been a glitch," she offered as Cathica got off her chair.

"Glitching whilst connected to someone's brain? Still not buying into this 'awesome' technology," Danielle grumbled.

The Doctor looked down at her, slightly amused despite the situation they were in. "This has really struck a chord with you, hasn't it?"

"I had higher hopes for the future," She admitted. "But we're all still being lied to," she tilted her head up. "Now what?"

"Promotion," a female robotic voice declared and one wall turned into a screen, ready to display the lucky winner of the prize Cathica seemed so desperate to win.

"Well, that," the Doctor replied as Suki's name appeared on the screen, much to everyone's surprise.

 _~0~0~0~_

Suki hugged the Doctor tightly, still not quite believing her luck. She'd only applied on the off chance, and she'd actually got it. One more step on her quest for all the information.

"Come on, you too," she giggled, pulling Danielle in for a hug as well. The girl tensed up in surprise at the sudden show of intimacy, giving her a gingerly pat on the back before she moved away.

"I'm sure it's because of your own merit," she replied awkwardly. She was never one for hugging people she'd just met. Friends and family were fine, but she'd never quite understood people's need to touch each other after first meeting.

Adam wasn't part of the celebration, and that meant that Rose wasn't either. Danielle was still a bit confused over why Adam seemed to be taking it all so badly, after all he'd been working with alien tech for a while before they'd shown up, but then again some people reacted to different situations differently. She couldn't blame him for feeling out of his depth, she just didn't understand it.

She was more concerned about why they were all acting like Suki was never coming back. It was very rare that a promotion meant that you were leaving forever. Even in her time, everyone was just a phone call away from those who wanted to contact them.

She still found it very odd as Suki scrambled for her bag. "Oh, my God, I've got to go," she exclaimed. "I can't keep them waiting!" she rushed to the elevator to take her to the mystical floor. "I'm sorry!" She turned to face them as Rose appeared next to Danielle. "Say goodbye to Steve for me!" Suki called out as if she had almost forgot. "Bye!"

And then she was gone, leaving Danielle with a thoughtful frown on her face and Cathica with crossed arms and an annoyed look. "Good riddance," the journalist mumbled, crossing her arms to show just how jealous she actually was.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs," the Doctor pointed out.

"We won't," Cathica replied, looking vaguely surprised at his assumption. "Once you go to Floor five hundred you never come back,"

With that, Cathica turned from the lift and yet another lost opportunity, and started heading back through the food hall. The Doctor, Rose and Danielle followed behind her.

"What's wrong with you?" Rose asked the other woman, who looked just as displeased at what was happening as the Doctor did, "I've just had to deal with one-time sick person, don't tell me you're not the same."

"I just don't understand," Danielle replied. "Why would you go up? Why even apply? Why go somewhere to never be seen again?"

"You heard the Doctor; the walls are made of gold," Rose reminded her.

"And?" Danielle countered. "That doesn't actually _mean_ anything, does it? It's… it's like when your parents tell you ' _if you don't clean your room Father Christmas won't bring you any presents_ '. But you didn't always clean your room, and he brought them anyway because what parent purposefully doesn't get their kids presents for Christmas? It's a fake incentive. Golden walls don't actually _mean_ anything, but people are jumping through hoops for them."

The Doctor turned to Cathica, completely agreeing with Danielle even if he might have worded it differently. "Have you ever been up there?" he asked their guide.

"I can't. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to five hundred except for the chosen few," she grumbled. She didn't really care what any of them thought, they obviously didn't take their job as seriously as she did and that's why there were also not from Floor five hundred. If someone like Suki, who was a mediocre journalist at best, could get a promotion, hers must be just around the corner, surely? She was bloody good at her job.

Speaking of her job, she had a glitch to file a report on, and it didn't look like her little entourage were going to leave her alone. So she headed back to the Info room, still determined to do her best and get noticed.

The Doctor quickly made himself at home, jumping on the chair in the middle of the room and reclining on it like it was his own. Rose stood by his head, ready and waiting to find out what they were going to do next. Danielle nudged his legs over, propping herself on the seat in front of him. She still felt slightly more comfortable with the Doctor than she did Rose, despite the fact that she'd known Rose almost her whole life. Maybe that was the issue; too much history of indifference between the two made it very hard to break through it and start again. They got on well enough, but they still would need a little time to become good friends. Her and the Doctor only had that to start from.

"Look, they only give us twenty minutes' maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?" Cathica asked them, mainly the Doctor, as she tried to start her report on the glitch.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" the Doctor questioned. People were disappearing, and no one seemed to care. In fact, as Danielle had pointed out, no one seemed to be investigating anything they're not told to. It was like all of the curiosity had been lost, and that was very strange for humans. They thrived on new experiences, new knowledge. Even just ordinary humans, like Adam, who might not be able to handle such a shock to their system would still try and work things out. These humans had lost their need for discovery, and he needed to find out why.

"I went to floor sixteen when I first arrived. That's medical," she explained. "That's when I got my head done, and then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all," she bent down, examining one of the hand terminals when it occurred to her that anyone who knew anything about the satellite would know all this. "You're not management, are you?"

"At last. She's clever," the Doctor replied with a teasing tone.

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything," Cathica told all three of them, trying to wash away the blame and the unnerved feeling she got everything anyone went to Floor five hundred.

"Don't you even ask?" The Doctor pressed.

"Well, why would I?"

"You're a journalist!" he explained, like it was obvious. "Why's all the crew human?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Cathica replied, almost defensive.

"There's no aliens on board. Why?" he pressed again, trying to get her to see the bigger picture.

"I don't know. No real reason," she replied with a shrug. "They're not banned or anything."

Danielle frowned. "What? So you're telling us that Satellite 5, the biggest and only news corporation, who has the monopoly on the news itself, hasn't had one alien apply for a job?" she challenged. "No Martian wanting to be a sports anchor? No… no…" she waved her hand in the air as she tried to think up one of the very limited alien species she'd actually heard of, if only in passing. "No Slitheen who's applied to be a janitor?"

The Doctor grinned, leaning back in the chair and letting the red head interrogate the very unwilling journalist. He knew better than to get in the way of a redhead. "I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what with all the threats," Cathica almost stuttered out.

"What threats?" Danielle retorted. "You showed us the news before. All we got were some riots and some giant head suddenly becoming a parent. Terror is normally number one on all channels, so why haven't we seen any evidence of it?"

Rose bent down, close to the Doctor's ear. "She's good," she murmured and the Doctor nodded smugly.

"And your boyfriend is off having a sit down," he retorted and Rose nodded, completely agreeing with his slight distain. And she'd had such high hopes…

"It's just the usual stuff," Cathica defended. "Not everything is needed to be broadcast all the time, not everything affects our viewer base. It's just a lot of little things, that's all."

None of which were any reason to have zero species diversity on the satellite, and by the way she went back to busying herself with her work, Cathica knew that as well. "Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice," the Doctor pointed out.

Cathica sighed, giving up on getting any work done. "Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

"I can see better," he replied simply. "This society's the wrong shape, even the technology."

"It's cutting edge!" She defended.

"You have a _hole_ in your _head_ ," Danielle retorted slowly, like she didn't understand that anyone ever thought that it had been a good idea. It wasn't the best set up, Cathica had to admit, but it worked and as far as Satellite 5 was concerned, there was nothing better.

"You should've chucked this out years ago," the Doctor said.

"So, what do you think's going on?" Rose asked, getting straight to the point.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude," The Doctor explained. "It's the way people think. The great and bountiful Human Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."

"And how would you know?" Cathica challenged, the first proper question she'd asked in their presence.

"Trust me, humanity's been set back about ninety years," he promised. "When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

Cathica saw them all staring at her, expecting an answer and she realised that they really didn't know anything about the satellite. Which mean that the Doctor had pulled the figure out of thin air, and that actually worried her for a moment. "Ninety-one years ago."

The Doctor nodded slowly, like he wasn't surprised at all. Rose and Danielle shared a look, knowing that it didn't mean anything good. "So, what else happened ninety-one years ago?" Danielle asked quietly.

"Another good question," the Doctor told her, hopping up off the chair. He grinned at his two companions. "Let's go find out."

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Hey, look, I'm almost regular with these updates! I hope you liked this chapter too!_

 _I've had a lot of questions about Echoes on my Tumblr, I just wanted to invite anyone else who has a question to nip over and ask on there as well! I'm having a lot of fun answering them, and you don't need an account to ask them, you just won't get a notification when I answer :)_

 _But, for now, reviews!_

 _ **bwburke94** \- It is rather difficult, but I think I'm doing alright so far XD_

 _ **Rox** **Malone** \- Well, we can only wait and see ;)_

 _ **Guest** \- Why thank you :D_

 _ **PopstarJ01** \- Why thank you! The Doctor won, partly because he was better, partly because Danielle let him because it'd make him like her more. Thirdly, I'd send you some but I can't stand banana bread XD xxx_

 _ **babynora1983** \- Thanks, sweetie!_

 _ **AmeliaPond1997** \- She's going to be similar to Clara, yes, but with her own Danni-Girl spin on it :)_

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- Well, I'm taking a bit of a liberty with what counts as an 'encounter', but yes, pretty much :D Danielle is quite the baker, that won't always be the way XD xxx_

 _ **bored411** \- Thanks, sweetie! Hope you liked this one too!_

 _ **firestar92603** \- Thanks sweetie! Yep, she's going to be like Clara, but in her own way :)_


	5. The Long Game Part 2

Cathica rushed off, a woman angry and full of warnings as the Doctor, Danni and Rose stood in the lift to go up to Floor 500. The golden walls, the disappearances, and the fact that amass of heat was being channelled down from the top of the satellite all signalled that everything that they wanted to know was up there, waiting.

"I think you got to her," Danielle commented from her spot between Rose and the Doctor.

"Yeah, I think I did," the Doctor replied happily. "It's about time. It'll get some curiosity running through her veins." He turned to Rose, shooting her a grin that she returned. He'd seen it in Rose, and he'd seen it in Danielle. Both women were just full of inquisitiveness that needed to be explored.

"Dangerous, you are," Rose teased and he straightened up.

"I'll think you'll find I'm quite helpful," he retorted and they chuckled for a moment before falling silent once again.

"If they're enticing people with walls made of gold," Danielle started softly. "What do you think is actually up there?"

The Doctor's face fell into a solemn frown. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we'll find out, and we'll stop it."

And that was the end of the joking around. Danielle felt the shift in the air as they fell from their happy-go-lucky personas into ones of determined duty. She felt the shift inside herself as well. If something was happening up there, something bad, then she had to help stop it too. She guessed that Rose felt the same sense of duty for her species, one that compelled her to try and save their people from whatever horrors were waiting. She had to wonder, though, if Rose felt the same need to help the jolly Northern alien who had taken it upon himself to save everyone else. No one should have to face that alone.

The doors to the elevator opened and it was obvious immediately that the walls were not made of gold. The large room they opened on was not unlike the one they'd first landed in. Large metal walls, all a bit uniform and industrial. There were stands in the middle of the room, like the food vendors down below, but the room was in a greater state of decay. Beams and wires had fallen from the ceiling, debris and dirt and dust lined the floor. And, unlike the floors below, ice covered everything because of how cold it was. Danielle wrapped her arms around herself, as did Rose, as they stepped out of the elevator.

"No gold walls," she commented with a little chatter of her teeth.

"You should go back downstairs," the Doctor replied firmly.

"Tough," Rose retorted. She pushed past him, walking into the room. The Doctor took a look at Danielle, who nodded towards the blonde.

"What she said," she replied a bit lamely before heading after the other woman. He watched them both walk off, wondering if he should send them downstairs regardless. He was responsible for them, after all, he was the one who'd brought them here.

However, he kept silent and followed them into the dilapidated room. None of them paid much attention to their surroundings after they had been discarded as a mess and nothing more. The Doctor's large strides helped him take back the lead with ease, and both Danielle and Rose were very happy to let him. Rose had first-hand experience of letting him do his thing, and Danielle was still pretty new to the entire affair. Her heart was racing, her palms very slightly sweaty, but a part of her was almost excited at finding out what was happening. She could get used to this.

That excitement fell away to dread when they stepped up to a console room. There was a man with bright white hair and a suit looking over a console where seven people were working. The room was also covered in ice, and dully lit.

The man turned to them, looking highly amused, "I started without you," he said almost apologetically. "This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you, you don't exist."

He motioned to the console the people were working on. Rose and the Doctor tried to work out what they were looking at. Danielle glanced and saw not much more than some statistics and some of the news being broadcasted out from the satellite. So, she left the experts to it, walking to the nearest person to them at the console. It was a bald man with white skin and blue lips. Her fingers danced out across his neck, feeling the ice-cold skin and she knew that she didn't need to take the time to look for a pulse. She started slowly to the next man in the line, this time in a jacket that made it look like he was being protected from the cold, but his skin was still icy cold. So much so that they were also faintly frosty as well.

"Suki!" Rose cried as she noticed the woman who had received the last promotion. She was sat at the end of the row of people, staring straight ahead with her hands on the console. Rose rushed over to her side, giving her a shake. "Can you hear me? Suki?"

"Don't," Danielle called over softly. "They're all dead."

Rose frowned, glancing at the console that Suki was holding onto. It had two hand ports, like the ones downstairs, and information scrolled on the monitor in front of her. "But she's working."

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going, like puppets," the Doctor spat out.

"Oh!" the man with white hair called out, sounding very impressed. "You're full of information. But it's only fair we get some information back, because apparently, you're no one," the man laughed, like it was completely absurd. "It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

The Doctor turned to him, "It doesn't matter, because we're off. Nice to meet you," he turned to his two charged. "Come on."

As he turned to go two more people appeared, both covered in ice, and grabbed him to stop him walking around. Suki took hold of Rose without looking from her monitor, and the man in the jacket did the same to Danielle.

"Get off me!" the red-head exclaimed angrily. "I didn't say you could touch me!"

The man with white hair chuckled. "Oh, she's feisty, isn't she?" he asked the Doctor with a grin on his face. It then dropped off. "Tell me who you are." He demanded.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly going to say, am I?" the Doctor retorted, attempting to struggle free. The puppets had a strong grip on him, however, and he soon fell still.

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise," the man offered.

"And who's that?"

The man leant in closer to the Doctor, as if to impart some wisdom. The action didn't give the Doctor any more confidence in the situation at hand. "It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire," he explained in a low voice. "In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live."

They were all surprised by the snarling and growling that suddenly filled the room, except the man with white hair, who held his finger up to his ear like he was receiving instructions from somewhere else. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry," he told the voice on the other end before turning back to his hostages. "It's a place where humans are _allowed_ to live by kind permission of my client," he clicked his fingers, then pointed up.

Above them hung a giant lump of flesh, with snapping teeth and no eyes. "Oh my god, it's Jabba the Hut," Danielle breathed in horror.

"What is that?" Rose asked in a small voice, stunned by the sight.

"You mean that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked, his voice a mixture of horror and curiosity.

"That _thing_ , as you put it," the man replied, "is in charge of the human race. For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the mighty _Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe_ ," he looked at the Doctor, a grin on his face like he was talking about his dog. "I call him Max."

"Ninety-one years ago the satellite began broadcasting," Danielle pointed out and the man with white hair nodded.

"Ninety-one years of glorious rule by my client," he confirmed. He then took his attention off the trio, his face losing the grin it'd held. "Restrain them," he ordered his zombie minions.

 _~0~0~0~_

Danielle had been quite vocal about being strapped to the back of the contraption that had been built to keep them in place. The structure was made of leftover parts from the broken room, but the manacles around their arms were very much holding them in place. She'd been strapped to the back of it, wires running down into her restraints, whilst Rose and the Doctor were side by side facing the man with white hair as he explained the very clever plan that had enslaved the human race.

"You know, you're starting to sound like a Bond villain!" She called over her shoulder at the man. "' _Please, Mr Bond, you will not escape. Now, let me tell you my plan so you can't foil it._ '" She mocked.

"You _are_ the talkative one, aren't you?" the man replied and she twisted slightly to glare at him from the gap between Rose and the Doctor.

"Oh, I haven't started yet, you mother-"

"Danielle," the Doctor warned lowly. Danielle huffed, but turned her back on the man, deciding ignoring him would be a greater punishment than her berating him.

The man waited for a moment, purposefully listening for her. When she didn't speak up, he grinned, back to his victory. "You see? Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilise an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

"So all the people on Earth are like, slaves?" Rose asked.

"Well, now, there's an interesting point," the man with white hair declared, looking rather interested in the thought. "Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes," the Doctor replied simply.

"Oh," the man groaned in disappointment. "I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? ' _Yes'_?"

"Yes," the Doctor repeated with a nod of his head. He didn't have time for little jokes and playful discussions. The human race was enslaved by a giant slug of an alien, and the three people who could actually save them - okay, the one person and his two friends - were currently restrained underneath said alien.

The man with white hair chuckled. "You're no fun."

"That's not true," Danielle called. "He just hates dickhead sell-outs."

"I'm not a sell-out," the man replied, sounding insulted by her accusation. "I'm just shrewd."

The Doctor shook his manacles, getting the attention back on him rather than the irate red-head behind him. "Let me out of these manacles. You'll find out how much fun I am," he said with promise.

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he?" He asked Rose with a bit of a chuckle. "But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must have noticed," Rose countered, none of them agreeing with him.

"From time to time, someone, yes," he admitted, pacing away from them and towards Suki. "But the computer chip system allows me to see inside their brains. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it," he made a motion with his hand, closing his fist as if to demonstrate what he meant. "Then they just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual, when of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

"What about you?" Rose countered. "You're not a Jagra-Jagra-belly..."

"Jagrafess," Danielle helped and Rose nodded.

"Jagrafess," she finished. "You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."

"Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well," the man retorted.

" _Sell-out_!" Danielle called out again happily. "That is the definition of sell-out. Trading in your entire species for a better wage packet is a _sell-out_."

"No," the man snapped before catching himself. He pointed at the trio, "No," he repeated, calmer but still pointed. "I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to, um," he lowered his voice. " _Install_ himself. "

"No wonder, a creature that size," the Doctor admitted, looking away from the woman who had joined their conversation with no one else but him noticing, and up at the ceiling at the Jagrafess. "What's his lifespan?"

"Three thousand years," the man replied.

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot," the Doctor theorised, and the Jagrafess roared as if in agreement. "You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big life support system," the Doctor shot a look over at Cathica, who looked just as horrified at the news as he had expected her to. He knew she wouldn't be able to leave it alone, that he'd tempted that curiosity in her. Perhaps she could help after all, if he could get to her to offer her a plan of action.

The man with white hair pointed at the Doctor, bringing him back to the conversation. "But that's why you're so dangerous," he said. "Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown."

He let out a little chuckle, one with no humour at all behind it before he clicked his fingers. Electricity began surging through the manacles, causing the Doctor to clench his teeth together. Rose had a similar reaction, her face grimacing in pain and Danielle cried out in pain from behind him, "Who are you?"

The electricity stopped and they all panted from the pain. He felt Danielle fall back against him, and Rose let out a little whimper. "Leave them alone," he half commanded, half begged. "I'm the Doctor, she's Rose Tyler and," he nodded behind him, "she's Danielle Song. We're nothing, we're just wandering."

Danielle let out a little groan from behind him and the man with white hair didn't look the least bit satisfied with that answer.

"Tell me who you are!"

"He just did, you arsehat," Danielle groaned, using the Doctor's back to stand up.

"I can easily separate you," the man warned her. "Who do you work for?" He started walking closer to the trio. "Who send you? Who knows about us? Who exactly…"

He paused mid-step, hands out like he'd just had a revelation. The Doctor frowned in confusion as a look of pure happiness spread across his face. The Jagrafess above them seemed to echo this sentiment of the man motioned to the Doctor with both hands. "Time Lord."

The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat in worry and panic, but he still managed to force a look of confusion on his face, "What?"

"Oh, yes," the man continued. "The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine. Oh, with his little human girls from long ago." He reached out to stroke Rose's face, and she flinched back from his touch.

"You don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor insisted.

"Time travel," the man replied simply.

"Someone's been telling you lies," the Doctor tried, but the man just turned to the control panel and the large number of monitors above it.

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" He said, clicking his fingers yet again. In front of them, in the air, a holographic screen appeared with Adam on it. Danielle tried to turn the best she could at the sound of his screams, but couldn't see more that a flash of light that signified that the screen was there.

"What's he done?" She asked.

"Oh my god, his head," Rose said in horror. "He's-he's got one of those holes in his head."

Danielle's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How the hell did he get one of those?"

"What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done?" The Doctor exclaimed angrily. "They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything!"

The was how the man in front of them knew the information. Adam had handed out everything to him. His screams said that it might not have been his intention, but she would bet all she owned on the fact that no one had forced the hole on him, otherwise they would have used him a lot sooner than now.

If Danielle's hands had been free, she would have been clenching them in anger. He'd traded them all in for a hole to his brain. She could throttle him.

"And through him, I know everything about you," the man with white hair continued. "Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, _Doctor_. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your," he looked up as he listed off the letters that came to him through Adam, "T-A-R-D-I-S, _TARDIS_."

"Well, you'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first," the Doctor swore.

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key," the man retorted and Rose winced slightly as she remembered that she was the one who gave Adam the TARDIS key. They watched it rise from his pocket on the holo-screen, and Rose knew that was all her fault.

"You and your boyfriends!" The Doctor snapped at her.

"I get it, your girlfriend is better, what do we do?!" Rose exclaimed back.

"Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing," the man declared, partially talking to his captives, partially talking to his master above them.

"And no one's going to stop you because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold," he looked over at Cathica, who met his eye before turning and walking away, shocked and horrified. The Doctor barely paid her any more attention after that; if she could help, he knew she would. He just had to leave her to it.

The Jagrafess above them snarled and snapped, and the man chuckled along like the creature was telling him a fantastic joke. Danielle struggled slightly against her manacles, but it was to no avail. She wasn't going to be able to get free, and even if she could what use would she be?

And the Doctor, who Rose herself said took on the role of saviour on his own, how must he be feeling? She was terrified, and she had no doubt that Rose was echoing her feelings, but what about the man who tried to save everyone? What was he feeling now that he couldn't?

"It'll be okay, sweetie," she told the Doctor behind her, who frowned at the words. "He won't help rewrite history, that'll erase himself, won't it? Everyone knows that'd be a bad idea. It's okay, you're okay."

Even though the human race was on the brink of being completely destroyed, the Doctor couldn't help but smile at her words. A smile that only grew as an alarm started sounding out through the room and the man with white hair looked distinctly disturbed by it.

He rushed over to the console, looking at all the readouts to try and work out where the alarm as coming from, "What's happening?"

The Doctor looked down at Rose, who was looking around with confusion as well. Something was happening that wasn't supposed to be, and he knew that it was Cathica.

"Someone's disengaged the safety," the man realised. He clicked his fingers and the holo-screen turned from Adam to a woman in one of the info-spike chairs.

"What's happening?" Danielle asked from behind them.

"It's Cathica," Rose told her, surprise in her voice.

"And she's thinking!" The Doctor exclaimed happily. "She's using what she knows!"

"Rose was right, you are dangerous," Danielle teased as Cathica did exactly what the Doctor said she was. All around them the ice on the ceilings and the walls began to melt as she reversed the pipes and the filters that pointed the heat downwards into the satellite, and started warming the room quickly.

The Jagrafess was _not_ happy. It roared and snapped as its body began to overheat, and it began to boil on the ceiling. The man with the white hair began to try and stop Cathica, but it didn't work, and whether it was Cathica defending herself or the dead journalists helping her was unclear.

As the console exploded, sending the man and his dead operators away and to the floor, Rose's manacles received just enough energy to free her. She quickly pushed them over her head and away before turning to the Doctor. She picked at the joins in his own restraints, but nothing worked. So, she reached into his jacket and pulled his sonic screwdriver out.

"What do I do?!"

"Flick the switch!" The Doctor told her and she did, holding it up to his manacles as the Jagrafess above them roared in pain and anger. He sighed in relief as they finally popped off and he stepped away from the contraption, getting himself untangled in a similar way to Rose. He glanced up at the Jagrafess, working out just how much time they had left before it came to its messy end. Enough to get out of the way, at least.

" _Doctor_!" Danielle shouted in panic. "Doctor! Don't leave me here!"

He almost rolled his eyes at the ridiculous assumption - he'd only stepped away from her - but knew that she was just scared. He snatched his screwdriver back off Rose then dived around the back. He saw Danielle's face, contorted in fear, instantly relaxed and he quickly undid her manacles as well.

He was surprised when she chucked her arms around his neck, pulling him down to give him the tightest hug. "Don't scare me like that!" She scolded before letting go. He held her by the arms, unsure of whether to reassure her, or teased her. Instead they just both beamed happily before rushing back to Rose.

"Oi, mate!" He called to the man with white hair, who was desperately trying to reverse the heat. "Want to bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang. See you in the headlines!" And the three ran off, leaving him to deal with the explosion of his boss.

 _~0~0~0~_

Adam was already by the TARDIS when they all arrived back down on the correct floor. Cathica wanted help, she wanted some guidance and someone to explain, not because she doubted her own ability but a habit of a lifetime is hard to kick. The Doctor didn't want to stick around, though. He had something else to take care off.

He stormed over to Adam despite Rose's half-hearted protests, who at the very least had the decency to look a bit sheepish.

"I'm all right now. Much better," he told them, as if any of them cared. The Doctor continued to glower as he closed the space between them. "And I've got the key. Look, it's…" He held up the TARDIS key, "It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" He pointed out.

The Doctor grabbed him by the shoulder, keeping silent and snatching the key out of hand. He shoved the man towards the door, where he also stayed silent as he unlocked the door.

"You know, it's not actually my fault," Adam reasoned, "because you were in charge!" The Doctor shoved him inside, wondering if he should berate him considering just how angry he was at himself and the man in front of him. A whirl of red hair pushed past him, though, and he realised his hesitance had cost him his chance.

Adam, who had stumbled at the Doctor's actions, almost fell to the floor as Danielle shoved him again. "Not your fault?" She shrieked, eyes blazing and blood running hot in her veins. "Not your fault?! You will take responsibility for your actions you slimy," she shoved him again, " _stupid_ ," another shove to get him out of the way of Rose and the Doctor, "little boy!"

"Danielle, don't," Rose started, following her in. The Doctor stepped in last, shutting the door behind them and Rose looked at the Time Lord for help. "Get her to stop it," she said but the Doctor just shot her a look. He headed to the console, leaving Danielle to vent her fear and anger on the other man.

"I wasn't trying to hurt anyone!" Adam defended.

"No, you were just looking out for your own arse!" Danielle raged. "You only care about yourself, don't you? There was no thought of anything but your own gain!"

"That's not true!"

"You got a hole in your bloody head!" Danielle snapped back. "Why would anybody get that unless they saw any sort of gain, or profit, in it?! Have you never seen _Back to the Future_?! Knowledge from the future is dangerous and _never_ works out!"

They all stumbled as the Doctor put the TARDIS into flight. "That knowledge could have advanced humanity!" Adam defended. "I-I was trying to help!"

" _Yourself_!" Danielle snapped back. "You were trying to help _yourself_! Well done, your own selfishness almost cost humanity its existence! And you only care that you got caught!"

The TARDIS thudded to the ground as it landed, and the three humans stumbled again. The Doctor, still fuming at both Adam and himself, cut Danielle off in her rant and grabbed Adam by the shoulder once again. He marched the boy out through the door and into the twee living room they were now parked in.

"It's my house. I'm home!" Adam exclaimed, chuckling in surprise, "Oh, my God, I'm home!" He seemed to realise that his reaction wasn't the best, because he stopped laughing and turned to the Doctor, much more solemn. "Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock."

The Doctor had no time for any sympathy. "Is there something else you want to tell me?"

"No. What do you mean?" Adam asked, shuffling from one foot to the other.

The Doctor just stormed over to the answering machine. He knew the human boy thought himself so clever, but a type two chip needs information to be any use. He picked up the machine. "The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world."

Adam's mouth opened and closed as he tried to figure out an excuse, but couldn't. Rose just looked at him in complete disappointment and disinterest, but Danielle was still fuming at his actions.

The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at the machine, and a moment later it exploded, smoke streaming from the inside. "That's it, then. See you."

He walked back over to the TARDIS as Adam turned in surprise. "How do you mean, ' _see you'_?"

"As in goodbye," the Doctor replied like it was obvious.

"But what about me? You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a chip type two. My head opens."

"What, and that's news to you?" Danielle snapped back. "You got it installed, you saved the information, did you think it was just going to wear off?" She strode over to him, jabbing him in the chest with her finger. "You are what is wrong with the world," she snarled. "You are selfish, petty and are always looking for someone else to blame _your_ mistakes on. You're lucky that you were dropped off home so you can keep your head down and hope to God no one watches _The Addams Family_ around you."

His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

She held up both of her hands, and pointedly clicked his fingers twice. His forehead opened, showing his brain to them all, then closed again. "Good riddance," she spat before turning and heading into the TARDIS. She couldn't even look at him anymore.

She'd always been a bit cynical of people. Years of bullying at school, an absent father and a barely there mother meant that while she hadn't been devoid of friends, it didn't take a lot to break her trust. She hadn't really trusted Adam, either. His reaction to being in the future, on a spaceship, just said he'd only gone to get into Rose's pants anyway. All men were alike!

No, that wasn't fair. The Doctor hadn't been like that. He'd been trying to do his best, even if he'd aimed a gun at a Dalek that had just wanted its freedom. But his intentions were honourable, they weren't entirely for his selfish gain.

" _I only take the best,_ " she heard the Doctor tell Adam. " _Come on, Rose. Danielle is waiting_."

Danielle couldn't help the swell of pride in her chest at the words, but kept herself from grinning. Instead, she shot him a soft smile as he entered the TARDIS.

The Doctor couldn't look at her. Not because he blamed her, but because he blamed himself for her being in danger for any moment of time. Rose wasn't to know the difference between herself and the man she'd chosen to fancy; that was one of the things that had drawn him to her as a friend, the fact that she was obviously better than she thought she was.

He should have looked after them better, and the moment that Rose joined them, closing the door softly behind her, he took them off without a word.

Rose knew that he was angry, and that she needed to apologise. But not now. She'd been in enough arguments to know when an apology would just make the situation worse. Instead, once they'd settled from the take-off, she walked over to Danielle and placed a hand on her arm.

"Come on, we'll see if you have a room," she suggested, directing the other woman to the hallway.

"Room?" Danielle asked, sounding intrigued. "Why would I have a room?"

"The TARDIS, it's a living thing," Rose explained as the Doctor watched them leave the console room. "It created me a room when I first started travelling, I'm sure it's created one for you too."

"Really?" Was the last thing he heard Danielle say before they disappeared. "You think I'm going to be able to stay?"

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Sorry, I did mean to post this up a little earlier, but I still hope you enjoyed it and very angry Danielle!_

 _Reviews :D_

 _ **Guest** \- Here ya go, better late than never :P_

 _ **scarlet** **rose** **white** \- Thanks sweetie! hope you liked it!_

 _ **bwburke94** \- Ah, I don't think I can answer this without spoiling it either way, can I? :P_

 _ **bored411** \- Thanks sweetie! I don't know if this chapter is sassy or just plain angry XD_

 _ **.5095110** \- Hope you liked it :D_

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- Hehe yeah, the girlfriend thing probably will pop up again! Thanks for the support, sweetie xxx_

 _ **PopstarJ01** \- Oh, I'm already writing some, sweetie! Keep an eye out on Tumblr :P xxx_


	6. A Temptation

Danielle couldn't sleep. She'd always found it very hard to stay at other people's houses, she guessed because she never really did sleep around other people's houses. She supposed that this wasn't technically a house, rather a time machine. Still, she found herself wandering around the hallways of the TARDIS, just marvelling at the way it really did seem to stretch on forever. She didn't open any of the doors she came across, because even though her curiosity was what had her finding the TARDIS and the Doctor, she didn't really want to be nosy in places she'd not been given permission to look.

The TARDIS had provided her with the _best_ room. A lovely cream and brown room that she could have only dreamed of. She'd tried decorating her room in her flat, but school and then university always seemed to get in the way, and all she'd ended up with was one three-quarter brown wall and the rest were a pale pink. The room the magical blue box had offered her was everything she had wanted in her bedroom. A swirl of browns and creams with the double bed she had always dreamed of.

There was also loads of clothes. She couldn't actually believe what she found when she'd opened the wardrobe. Dress after dress hung there, all beautiful and for a variety of occasions. The dresser had been filled with underwear, t-shirts, socks and pyjamas. She _loved_ the pyjamas. She'd immediately changed into a pale pink pair with cupcakes on them, and that was what she was wearing as she walked through the hallways.

She found the Doctor still in the console room. She did wonder what his room looked like; she could see him in a dark blue room, with a bed and not much else. Definitely not the large wardrobe she had been gifted.

"Is this how you spend your time when you're not travelling around to different times?" She asked him, startling the man. He seemed to be cleaning the top of the console with a yellow cloth. "Bake banana bread and clean your car?"

"She's much more than a car," the Doctor protested, placing the cloth down and turning away from his task. "Compared to the TARDIS, a car is like… it's like those wheels you can attach to your shoes to make them inline skates."

"Oh, those are harsh words," she teased back. "Rose called the TARDIS an it, but you called her a she, is that more correct?"

The Doctor hadn't really thought about it, but decided to nod all the same. "She's alive, I don't think anyone would like to be called an 'it'."

"Point taken," Danielle agreed.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" He asked her. "You humans need a lot of it."

"What, and you Time Lords don't?" She challenged, dusting over her own insomnia.

"Not half as much as humans," he replied. "It's such a silly past time. All that wasted time."

"It's not wasted," she protested as she sat on the pilot seat. Her legs swung in the air and the Doctor noted with a little amusement that she was wearing fluffy slippers. "It's where you dream, isn't it? Of faraway lands and lives you couldn't live."

"I can go to faraway lands, and live any life I wish," the Doctor relied, waving at the console.

"Well," she replied, trailing off because he was right. His magical blue box was just magical. "Well, what about that feeling when you wake up from a dream, and your bed is nice and snuggly, and you don't want to get out and just want to drift of again? And then you realise you _can_ just snuggle back in and go back to sleep? That's one of the best feelings there is!"

She said it with such seriousness, such conviction that the Doctor couldn't help but chuckle and agree. "You are right, that is a wonderful feeling," he agreed and she grinned back at him. "One you should be looking to be indulging in very soon. Why are you here talking to an old man instead?"

"You're not old," she defended.

"I'm nine hundred years old, remember?"

"That doesn't mean anything," she retorted. "For a human, it's impossible to be that old, but for a Time Lord, you could be like a toddler."

"I can assure you, I'm not a toddler," he replied.

"Then why are you up late playing with your toys?" She teased back and he shot her a look.

"You're getting quite cheeky already, aren't you?" He commented and she shook her head.

"Nah, I've always been like this," she promised then shrugged. "I can't sleep. I struggle in strange places."

"Oh," he replied. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable, but he couldn't blame her. He'd taken her to two very different places now, but neither of them had gone well. "Do you want me to take you home?"

She scoffed. "No, of course not," she told him like she thought he was an idiot and he grinned, happy to take that description. "I'll get used to it, I'm just not very good in new places," she swung her legs backwards and forwards. "Do you just wait around, then, for Rose to wake up?"

"Sometimes," he replied. "Not every time," he looked down at the cloth he'd put down on the console, and realised that was exactly what it seemed like. "Like, right now, I could take a trip to some uncharted moon just for to go for a walk, and maybe call into some friends, and still be back in time for her to wake up."

"Oh?" Danielle replied teasingly. "Am I standing in the way of your fantastic night out?"

"You could come with me," he offered.

"What? And leave Rose on her own?" Danielle asked, sounding like she didn't like that idea even though a grin was spreading on her face. "What if she wakes up?"

"She hasn't before," he replied. Danielle looked guilty, he could tell she didn't quite like the idea of leaving Rose behind, but he also knew that she was warring with herself to actually listen to that guilt.

She jumped up off the pilot seat. "Just one quick trip," she told him. "I just want to see somewhere new."

He grinned. "I can do that," he told her, sending them into flight. She stumbled forward, grabbing onto the console. The two shared a grin as the TARDIS shook, then there was a soft thud as it landed on the other side.

"Aren't you going to get changed?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"What's the point in going somewhere knew if you can't go in your pyjamas?" Danielle retorted. "Am I allowed to go first this time?"

"Do you want to go first?" he asked and she nodded eagerly. "Then go ahead."

She turned and rushed to the door, her heart pounding heavily and giddy eagerness rushing through her. This was her third trip now in the magical blue box that she'd found in the courtyard outside her tower block, and yet it felt like the first.

She chucked the doors open, and was greeted by a grey, dusty landscape and not much else. Uneven rocky floor, stars out as far as she could see, it was a completely barren wasteland.

"Where are we?"

"The Moon," the Doctor replied, joining her at her side as she looked out in her pyjamas. "Where I should start more often with you humans, to be fair."

She looked up at him. "What? Not good enough for your space friends?" she teased.

"I can fly us away if you…"

"No, I didn't say that," she quickly interrupted, just like he expected her to. "Where's the Earth?"

He leant out of the open door, pointing to the right. "Just over there," he told her. "I've parked facing the wrong way."

She leant out and her breath caught at the sight. Without thinking, she stepped out in just her socks onto the dusty landscape. She'd seen the Earth on Satellite Five, but it had been dark and covered in pollution. The Earth she was looking at shone brightly in the sky.

"Every human on Earth, at some point, looks up at the Moon and wonders what it would be like to be on it," the Doctor told her. "For a moment they'll imagine the lack of gravity, the sight they will see, but in your time only a few have ever gone. It's all just a dream, a kick up the backside that gives you the drive to do things you _can_ do, to make up for the things you can't."

Danielle waved her hand through the air. "It doesn't feel any different."

"That's because I extended the gravity field around us," he replied in his jolly tone. "Can't have you bouncing around without being prepared."

She spun on her heels, eyes bright with excitement. "Can we?" she asked. "How do I get prepared?"

He pulled out his screwdriver. "See that rock over there?" he told her. "The big one with the two in front of it that makes it look a little like the Mickey Mouse Logo?"

She scanned the floor and saw what he meant. "What about it?"

"That's where the field ends, don't go past it," he said with a grin. "There, now you're prepared."

He held up his screwdriver, and with a quick buzz, Danielle felt the shift. She turned to look back at him, but the resistance seemed to have disappeared in the air, and she lost her footing on the ground. With a yelp, she fell onto the dusty floor, which created a cloud around her.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you okay?"

She laughed. "Are you kidding?" she cried, struggling slightly to get up. "This is amazing!"

She jumped on the spot the moment she could stand, once again losing her footing on the way down. Well, she had always been a bit clumsy, it was normally the gravity that stopped her hurting herself more often. "I can't believe it. I'm on the fricking Moon!"

"This is just the start," he told her. "The Moon is just the start, the spark that got the human race thinking, talking, planning. It's what got you wondering what was out beyond it, and what got you off your lazy backsides and explore the universe around you. The First, Second, Third, Fourth Human Empires all started with this little piece of rock floating in the sky."

He watched her taking in his words at the same time that she took in the sights around her. He had done something a little similar with Rose just to see how she would react with all the potential, and just like the blonde, he wasn't disappointed. Her curiosity had already been seen, but that wanderlust appeared in her eyes as she imagined everything he was saying. All that possibility was not lost on the red head at all.

"There's so much more to see," he continued. "So many weird and wonderful places to explore, soon enough the Moon won't seem anything special at all."

She shook her head enthusiastically. "Definitely not," she disagreed. "This will _always_ be amazing."

He smirked slightly. "Want to put that to the test?"

She nodded, bouncing unsteadily over to him. "Take me to the Universe, Spaceman," she commanded and he waved his hand, gesturing her inside.

"Oh, I meant to ask," he said as he shut the door behind them. "Is it Danielle or Danni?"

She looked vaguely surprised, before realising where the question had come from. "Danielle," she replied. "I know I said 'Danni' to Suki, but that's really to stop people shortening my name to 'Dan'. I _hate_ that nickname."

"I don't know, I'm quite fond of _Dan_ ," he teased as he flew them away to somewhere new.

"You're pushing your luck, Spaceman," Danielle warned.

The TARDIS faded out of existence, oblivious to the one that fading into it just behind where the Doctor had landed. The door opened, and a man with a bowtie and quiff stuck his head out, looking around the area like he was thinking back on a very old memory. He then glanced back into his TARDIS, to the red head who was just walking into the console room.

"Danni-Girl," he called to her temptingly. "I've got something new to show you."

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Hope you are all enjoying this so far! A lot of people have been asking some very interesting questions on my Tumblr, (dannifielding), so make sure you head over there and check it out! You also don't need an account to ask a question, and you'll get a quicker response if you ask on there as well :)_

 _Reviews -_

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- You know I'm just going to keep you in suspense :P x_

 _ **scarlet** **rose** **white** \- Thanks sweetie! Maybe not quite the alone time you were looking for :P_

 _ **Guest** \- I'm glad you're liking it, sweetie! Red heads unite!_

 _ **PopstarJ01** \- Thanks sweetie! I'll get the super secret thing finished for you soon, honest :D x_

 _ **bored411** \- Adam deserved so much more! He still angers me to this day! So selfish! Thanks sweetie :)_


	7. Father's Day Part 1

Rose had been quiet all morning, which both the Doctor and Danielle noticed. They'd not mentioned it to each other, but they shared a glance or two over breakfast as Rose had a cup of tea, drinking it in silence. Neither of them knew what had brought on the melancholy of their friend, but both wished to help her. Danielle wasn't sure what she could do, not knowing the Tyler girl very well despite the years they'd spent together at school.

The Doctor, on the other hand, didn't feel so nervous about approaching her about her unusual behaviour once the afternoon came. Rose told them the story her mum used to tell her. About her father, and about the day he died.

"' _Oh, he would have loved to have seen you now,_ '" Rose recalled. "That's what Mum always says."

Danielle could tell instantly where the conversation was going, and so could the Doctor. He was sat on the pilot chair, Danielle was on the floor next to him, as Rose nervously asked her request. "I was thinking, could we, could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"

Danielle frowned slightly because that didn't seem like the best idea. Wasn't that the stuff sci-fi horror movies were made from? Go back and see your dead relatives and suddenly you were never born? She may have been new to the whole 'Time Travelling' thing compared to Rose, but she was sure that really was just a recipe for disaster.

Plus, Rose looked upset, and going to see her dad and knowing he was going to die probably wasn't going to make her feel any better. It'd be bitter sweet at best, and devastating at worst.

"Where's this come from, all of a sudden?" The Doctor asked.

"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, just leave it," Rose replied, almost in a sulk, belying the teenager in her. She turned away, shuffling her feet and playing with some of the controls on the TARDIS console to hide the fact that she did actually care.

"No, I can do anything," the Doctor replied modestly. "I'm just more worried about you."

Rose quickly nodded, reassuring him that she had thought about this, that it wasn't just a spur of the moment decision. She'd been thinking about it since travelling in a time machine was a possibility, and yes almost dying on a space station had jump started the decision somewhat, but no more than the rest of their trips. "I want to see him."

The Doctor glanced down at Danielle. He could tell this would mean a lot to Rose, but he really didn't want to set a precedent. It wasn't good going back to look at the past, at things that can't be changed, it only opened old wounds and made people bitter. He knew that better than anyone. However, by the look of concern on Danielle's face he didn't seem to have to worry about that. He could tell that she expected him to turn Rose down, and he really should have. But Rose had been kind, they both had really, and so he wanted to give her something in return.

"Your wish is my command," the Doctor told her. "But be careful what you wish for."

He hopped out of his chair, then held out his hand to Danielle. She smiled brightly and thanked him for helping her up. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked timidly as he reached out for one of the controls.

"It's just one trip," the Doctor replied. "Nip in, nip out. Nothing to worry about."

 _~0~0~0~_

Rose definitely was not impressed with her parents' wedding. Sure, she had been told it had been held in a register office rather than a large church, Jackie had always been open about that, and had complained often about how she'd missed out on a 'big fancy church wedding'. But, still, Rose had expected something more… just more than her mum and dad, the bare minimum of family and the tattiness of the office they were in.

Danielle had stepped out with them, but she felt decidedly uncomfortable with the entire thing. It felt like intruding in someone else's life, like she was witnessing something she should never have seen. None of them should have. The Doctor hadn't been invited, and she and Rose hadn't been born yet. She couldn't help but wince when Pete Tyler got Jackie's name wrong, and Jackie's reaction as far from the forgiving amusement Rose had painted when she'd told them about the day. In fact, the roll of her eyes and the distinctly annoyed look seemed a lot more like the Jackie Tyler Danielle had seen during her time in London.

When they headed back to the TARDIS it was with an air of disappointment. Rose hadn't seen the happy day she'd been told about whenever her mum was feeling a bit down about being alone. Her father had been painted as this dashing man who had loved her, who had stumbled over her name adorably. All Rose had seen was a man who hadn't been paying attention, and a woman who was already exasperated with him. She hadn't even been able to talk to him; after the ceremony, there had be the wedding pictures outside on the street, and then the bride and groom had been whisked away to their reception, to which the three time travellers had _not_ been invited.

The Doctor flew them away in silence, and Danielle wondered if she should leave them to it. She still thought the trip that they'd taken had been a bad idea, and the sadness on Rose's face just seemed to confirm that for her. There really was no benefit on going back on the past, it always led to heartbreak.

"He died all alone," Rose stated sadly. "Mum said it was a hit and run driver, and no one found out who it was. She always wished there had been someone there for him." She looked up at the Doctor. "I want to be that someone, so he doesn't die alone."

Danielle grimaced, because she knew that the Doctor wouldn't turn her down. She could tell, with only the slightly look, that he wasn't going to say no to the blonde's request. "Is that a good idea?" Danielle asked softly. "You're not going to be able to stop it."

"But he shouldn't die alone," Rose protested. "No one should die alone. He's my dad. Would you want your dad to die alone?"

Danielle didn't reply to that, because she couldn't have cared less about her dad. However, Rose did have a point, but it didn't mean going back was a good idea at all. It was hard but the Doctor couldn't take her back, could he?

"November the 7th?" he asked to clarify and Danielle looked at him incredulously.

"1987," Rose quickly finished before he could change his mind. The Doctor set them into motion, Danielle holding onto the pilot seat, and then they were parked on the street a little further away from where he died.

Rose was walking to the door the moment the TARDIS shuddered to a stop, her mind on nothing but her dad, whereas the Doctor glanced at Danielle, who didn't move to follow.

"Are you coming?" he asked and she shook her head.

"This isn't a good idea," she replied softly, almost apologetically. "Plus, it's her moment, not mine. I'll wait here."

He nodded, understanding completely. It didn't settle well in him either. No one could change the past like that, the ramifications were too enormous to contemplate, and he had tried. It was just going to hurt Rose to watch her father die, but it was her choice, her wish. He could only be there for her.

He didn't particularly want to leave Danielle on her own, though. The difference in the girl was astonishing. When she was excited, it ran through her veins and shone on her face. Now, uncomfortable and slightly disapproving of the Doctor's choice to take Rose to this moment in time, her head was bowed and her face now shone with sadness. He quickly decided to change that when he got back, but Rose was already gone and Danielle would be safe in the TARDIS.

"Stay here," he told her anyway. "You'll be safe, and we won't be long."

She shot him a small smile, and watched as he left after the blonde. She shuffled around the console room, wondering what was happening, wondering if Pete Tyler was dead yet or not. She had no idea what the accident was like, what if it was bloody and gruesome? Was Rose going to come back with her father's blood all over her clothes?

Why was the Doctor allowing this? He was absolutely livid at Adam for trying to change the course of history. Of course, that was on a much larger scale, but this seemed just a selfish, just as wrong. Maybe she didn't know any better. She wasn't a time travel professional after all, but how was hurting Rose going to help anyone? And what if something went wrong? What would happen then?

She jumped as the TARDIS door opened and Rose stepped in first. The tears on her face and the way her head hung was horrible, and despite her disapproval of the whole situation, Danielle really didn't want her to feel that bad. She walked over, meeting Rose in the middle of the walkway and gave her a hug as the Doctor closed the door behind them.

"I couldn't do it," Rose wept softly. "He-He was right there, but I couldn't go to him, and then it was too late and he still died all on his own."

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Danielle replied softly. "But, you were there for him, in a way. You were there thinking about him, offering a comfort her probably didn't know he had."

"We're trying again," the Doctor declared and Danielle looked over at him, shocked.

"I'm sorry?" she asked. Rose let her go enough to hold onto her arms, looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Please, if-if you're there, I'll be able to do it," she begged, her eyes widening slightly as Danielle's face contorted in uncertainty. "Please, Danni, help me do this."

Danielle looked back at the Doctor, who noticed her hesitate slightly at the sound of the nickname she didn't like. She looked at him, instead, for guidance on how to proceed and he gave her one small, guilty nod.

Danielle took a deep breath then turned to Rose. "Okay, I'll come," she conceded reluctantly and Rose shot her a smile, her eyes still wet with tears.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

 _~0~0~0~_

Danielle was kind of glad she hadn't gone the first time. Looking at the back of the heads of the two people she was stood with was a surreal experience and she was glad there wasn't a third head there. They were stood on the pavement by the edge of the road, side by side, just stood there waiting for the tragedy that was about to happen.

This time around, they were behind a wall just up from where the original pair were standing, and Rose was stood in the middle with the Doctor on one side and Danielle on the other. They were all peeking around to see the other two.

"Right, that's the first you and me," the Doctor told Rose. "It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait till she runs off and he follows, then go to your dad."

Rose didn't reply, and Danielle shuffled nervously on the spot. It was obvious Rose was only barely listening, that she only had eyes for the car that pulled up and the man who was sat in the driver's seat. She leant back, around Rose, and tugged on the Doctor's arm.

"I think we should go back to the TARDIS," she hissed, as if Rose was paying them enough attention to hear her words. "This is cruel, look at her."

Rose shook slightly as she started crying again. "I can't do this," she whimpered as Pete grabbed the vase that was to be his downfall.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," the Doctor told her gently, hoping that she would turn and leave. Danielle was right, this was cruel, she obviously couldn't handle being here. He shouldn't have brought her back once, let alone a second time, but he'd just wanted to help. Now they were here, though, he had to let her know how serious the situation was, and help her to the end she wanted. "But this is the last time we can be here."

Pete's door opened, and Rose couldn't take it anymore. They had thought that she meant she couldn't go and be there for him as he died, but she had meant that she couldn't watch him die again. She had to stop it, every fibre in her body was crying out for her dad and she ran.

"Rose, no!" Danielle shouted, having seen the slight way the blonde's eyes had widened. She dashed forward, grabbing onto her arm but Rose, whether she meant to or not, shoved her away and carried forward. Danielle yelped as she fell to the ground, skidding across it and scraping the skin off her arm.

The Doctor could only watch in horror as Rose dashed in front of their previous selves and shoved Pete Tyler out of the way of the car, saving his life. The past Doctor and Rose flashed out of existence, and he realised it was too late to stop her.

He looked down at Danielle, who was getting up off the ground and onto her knees, blood already seeping from the wound on the arm she cradled to her chest. Her eyes were on the road, where Rose and Pete were climbing off the floor, but then she looked back at him.

He wasn't sure it was any better that she didn't look angry, at him or at Rose. In fact, she looked terrified, like she really understood what Rose had done. "What do we do now?" she asked him quietly, hoping he had a plan.

But he didn't. Pete Tyler was alive, and everything had changed.

 _~0~0~0~_

Danielle had only ever been in the Tyler flat once, about nine months ago after Rose had gone missing. Now she knew that it was because she was travelling with the Doctor, and he hadn't meant to bring her back so late, but at the time she had just come home from university and found that the girl she went to school with had disappeared one night. Danielle's mum had been leaving for yet another trip, that was no surprise, but she hadn't felt like she could sit back and do nothing.

She'd baked a batch of brownies and had headed straight up to Jackie's flat. She hadn't been quite sure what she could do, so she offered the brownies and her help, telling Jackie that she wanted to be whatever help she could. She'd always felt uneasy when she'd seen missing person pleas on the television, but now that it had actually happened to someone she knew, she knew it was because she couldn't do anything to help. With Rose, she could.

Jackie had been so grateful for the brownies, and had just asked her to hand out fliers of the blonde to shops and anywhere she went that didn't have one. She had been so defeated, so sad, and obviously so tired. Danielle's heart had gone out to her, and so she'd done the best she could.

Jackie had invited her into her home even though she barely knew her at all, and Danielle hadn't stopped long. She wasn't close to either woman, she had just wanted to help. But it looked so different to what she remembered, and it was really unnerving. Different furniture, different wall colours. The carpet looked the same, but she'd not really paid attention to it so maybe it wasn't. And it was so _cluttered_. Things and boxes everywhere, it was a wonder anyone could even walk in it.

"Sorry about the mess," Pete said to the trio in a voice that said he'd apologised for the mess a lot. "If you want a cup of tea, the kitchens just down there, milk's in the fridge," he smiled at Rose, looking a little flustered, but he'd almost been hit by a car so it wasn't surprising. "Well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt, make a lot of money out of that."

Rose couldn't stop smiling as his face fell to a thoughtful frown, his idea building in his head. "Sell it to students and things. I should write that down," he shook his head slightly. "Anyway, never mind that," he turned to Danielle, all smiles again. "There's some plasters and things in the kitchen as well, for your arm, if you like."

Danielle smiled shyly in reply, still unnerved by the entire affair. "Thanks," she replied lamely.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Pete started. "I'm the one who almost got hit by the car, and yet you're the one in the wars."

She nodded with a bit of a giggle, still clutching her arm to her chest. "It's weird how things work out, isn't it?" she replied kindly. It wasn't his fault that he was alive when he shouldn't be, she didn't want to treat him bad because of it.

He nodded. "Anyway, excuse me for a minute. Got to go and change," he turned, heading into the master bedroom to find a new suit for the wedding they were now apparently heading to.

Rose started walking around the living room, marvelling at all of the stuff that was out in the open. So many things from her childhood that her mother used to show her. Her dad's trophies, the evidence of the schemes Jackie used to tell her about.

She couldn't help but feel the Doctor's judgemental gaze on her and, in contract, the way that Danielle was looking down at her feet and not at her.

Rose sighed. "Okay, I know it's a bit of a mess, but they've got a new baby."

The Doctor didn't uncross his arms. "When we met, I said travel with me in space. You said no. Then I said _time_ machine."

The Rose took a step forward, realising where his mind had headed. He wasn't right, she hadn't run in the TARDIS when he came back for her because she thought of her father. She hadn't even really considered coming back to see him until the night before when she dreamt of him.

"It wasn't some big plan," she explained softly. "I just saw it happening and I thought, I can stop it."

The Doctor turned away from her, his lips pulling up into a twisted grin before he turned back to her. "I did it again. I picked another stupid ape," he snapped. "I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe. It never is. It's about the universe doing something for you."

"So it's okay when you go to other times, and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad?" Rose challenged.

"I know what I'm doing, you don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point."

"But he's alive!" Rose exclaimed, like it forgave everything.

"My entire planet died. My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?"

"But it's not like I've changed history," Rose insisted, motioning to the hallway before hesitating slightly. "Not much. I mean he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Three or anything."

"Rose," the Doctor took a few steps towards her. He needed to know that she knew what she had done, that she hadn't just used to him to bring back her father from the dead. "There's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive."

"What, would you rather him dead?" Rose challenged and the Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I'm not saying that."

"No, I get it! For once, you're not the most important man in my life," Rose threw at him and Danielle winced slightly at the words.

"Let's see how you get on without me, then," he retorted. He held out his hand. "Give me the key."

Rose looked confused, and the Doctor made a grabbing motion with his hand. "The TARDIS key. If I'm so insignificant, give it me back."

Rose bristled at his words and, not one to back down in an argument, reached into the top pocket of his jacket and handed it to him. "All right then, I will."

The Doctor held it tightly in his hand. "You've got what you wanted, so that's goodbye, then," he turned and walked out, Rose chasing after him like they were a real couple in a fight. Or, Danielle figured, more like a father and daughter having a fight and the daughter needing to have the last word.

She slowly came back into the living room where Danielle was still standing, looking away from her. "What?" Rose snapped. "I bet you're thinking that he should be dead and all, aren't you?"

Danielle shook her head. "No, actually I was thinking about how you came back to save him," she replied softly and Rose frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?" she asked,

"Well, you came back to save him because he died. But that Rose doesn't exist anymore, because he's alive, so who's coming back to save him?"

"I am," Rose retorted and Danielle shook her head.

"But why would you?" she challenged. "He's not dead, is he?" she motioned behind her at the front door. "I'm going to see if he's okay. I think you hurt him."

 _~0~0~0~_

She had to jog slightly, but she managed to catch up with him relatively quickly. He was striding rather fast, but she was surprised when he slowed down let her walk by his side. She'd actually expected him to tell her to go away, considering the 'stupid ape' comment he'd thrown at Rose.

"Are we going to wait for her?" Danielle asked quietly.

"Yes," the Doctor replied shortly and she nodded as they fell back into a thick silence.

"I didn't come with you to change the past," she told him. "I mean, I can't say it was entirely selfless, but I don't expect that from you," she frowned in thought. "I mean, I don't think I do," her eyes widened slightly in horror at the thought. "I mean, I really _hope_ I didn't. Oh, what if I did? That's horrible!"

The Doctor couldn't help but be a little amused at her panicky rambling, and he slowed down slightly more so she wasn't having to walk-run to keep up with him. "Why did you come with me?" he asked. "Most people are sceptical, but you just said yes without much thought at all."

"Because I don't really like my life," Danielle replied softly. "I'm just Danielle Song – swot. Danielle Song, who grew up on a council estate and thought she was better than everyone just because she went to university. My mum is barely around, I don't have a father. I don't have friends, or a boyfriend, and my spare time consists of reading books and baking cakes. I wasn't sure what you were offering me, but I knew it was more, and I wanted that," she shrugged, shooting him a little guilty smile. "See? Rather selfish, when you think about it."

He shot her a smile, because back when he was young that was one of the main reasons he's stolen a TARDIS and ran away. His life had been so mundane, and he'd just wanted something more. He didn't really even know how to drive the time machine, but he'd taken that chance and he'd never regretted it. "I'll bandage up that for you," he told her, motioning to her arm. "It's probably just a scrape."

"Yeah, you can say that because you're not the one who's hurt," Danielle retorted. "I'm bleeding to death here!"

He snorted. "No you're not, don't be so dramatic."

"Dramatic?" she continued, trying not to giggle. "I might lose my arm!"

"Well, if you do, I'll buy you a new one," he replied and they both laughed together. Thankfully he seemed to be calming down a bit, which was good because he didn't seem himself unless he was the jolly northerner. He'd told her very little about what had happened for him to be the last of anything, and it was probably just a persona to hide his grief, but she just wanted him to be happy.

A smile suited him a lot more than a frown.

"What happens with Mr Tyler, then?" she asked softly. "He can't just stay alive, can he?"

The Doctor looked away from her and up to the sky, and for a moment he thought he saw something moving. However, he couldn't spot anything but the blue and the clouds, so he turned back to the redhead. "Well, two things will happen. Either the universe will compensate for the existence of the man who shouldn't be there, or…"

"Or we start to see ourselves being erased from photographs?" Danielle finished and he shot her a baffled look.

"What is it with you and _Back to the Future_?" he asked and she shrugged.

"I just really like it," she replied. "It's a great movie. All three of them are, really."

"What, even the third one in the 'Wild West'?" he asked incredulously and she nodded.

"Yes, even that one," she retorted. "I learnt everything I know about time travel from that movie!"

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Don't change the past just for your own gain, and never snog your mother; it'll feel too weird," she replied factually and he laughed.

"Both very good points," he agreed as they turned yet another corner. They continued to chat randomly about the good and bad points of the Back to the Future franchise until the finally came upon the TARDIS. The Doctor unlocked the door using Rose's key, and then frowned as the door opened much easier than it should of.

He pushed both of them open and Danielle gasped at the inside. Instead of the beautifully large console room, it was just four blue wooden walls. The Doctor stepped inside, spinning around in a circle as he hit each side, checking that they were actually just the walls of a police box and not some trick.

"What's going on?" Danielle asked frantically. "What's happened to the TARDIS?"

"This can't be happening, this isn't right!" the Doctor replied in disbelief. There's absolutely no way that the TARDIS was just disappear out of itself, not unless…

He looked at Danielle, eyes wide in horror. Pete Tyler. Pete Tyler was alive, and the TARDIS turning into just another police box meant that it was just about to get worse.

"What about Rose?" Danielle asked.

"We've got to get to her," was the Doctor's reply and they both set off in a run towards the church where the wedding would be.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed this short but sweet chapter! Don't forget to check out Danni's original story, the Time Child Saga, on my profile as well! It's pretty long now, but if you've not seen the original Danni, then you totally should check it out!_

 _Reviews!_

 _ **Rabbit887** \- Thanks sweetie! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)_

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- Yeah, a bit like Clara, she'll have a variety of names throughout the story. This Danni likes Danielle, and not Danni. I'm glad you liked the little glimpse, it felt appropriate XD xxx_

 _ **myharlequinromance321** \- Thanks sweetie!_

 _ **Guest** \- Thanks!_

 _ **scarlet** **rose** **white** \- Some more alone time, even if a little short and sweet! _

_**Cypress-trees** \- Thanks sweetie! Glad you're enjoying it!_

 _ **bored411** \- Thanks sweetie! Sorry this one isn't updated as regularly as the main story, but I hope you enjoy it when it comes along :)_

 _ **PopstarJ01** \- I thought you would! A little bit more here :D xxx_


	8. Father's Day Part 2

Danielle could barely breathe as they rushed around corner after corner. The Doctor seemed to have an innate homing system on their blonde friend, and he seemed incredibly sure of his path to the church in question. It was fantastic because even though she had heard of it, Danielle's sense of direction was poor at the best of times, and giving directions was definitely not her strong point.

He also barely seemed to be breaking a sweat, where she felt like her lungs were going to explode. She fell to a stop, hands on her thighs. "I-I can't," she panted heavily. The Doctor skidded in front of her, turning to check on his friend. She looked up, shooting him a look. "You-You need to get to Rose," she pointed out.

He jogged back over to her side. "Do you know where you're going?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"It doesn't matter," she brushed aside. "Saving her dad has done something wrong, right?" He didn't reply, because it was an obvious answer. "Then we need to find a way to fix it, and unfortunately my only idea actually stinks."

His brows furrowed. He'd been so busy running and trying to make this awful situation work for all of them in a way that would bring the TARDIS back that he'd not considered she would do the same. "What's your idea?"

"Well, this is all down to a man being alive that wasn't before. So, he needs to not be alive. That's the only way I can think to fix this, and I don't _want_ that to be the answer, so you better have another way up your sleeve."

"What if there isn't another way?" he asked. She was right; Pete Tyler being alive was causing the universe to retaliate and it needed to be stopped.

"Because no one should _have_ to die," Danielle retorted. "Pete shouldn't _have_ to die for the universe to work properl-" she trailed off as she looked up at the Time Lord, or rather past him to what was in the sky. It was huge, with wings like a bat and a mouth like a bug, all teeth and hidden by smaller arms also covered in teeth. It screeched and caught the Doctor's attention.

"Wh-What's that?" she asked quietly.

He didn't take his eyes of it. He had heard about the reapers, but he'd never thought he would ever see one. They were a story told in warning when he had been much younger, used to scare the new recruits when they were taken to see their first TARDIS. Paradoxes, by and large, resolved themselves, but they were what happened when the universe couldn't fix it. When the wound was so deep that it needed healing by its own defences.

He reached down and grabbed her hand. "Run," he told her firmly. "Now."

 _~0~0~0~_

Rose _knew_ it. She watched her mum and dad make up for the argument that she _might_ have been the cause of - they had a new baby, they were probably overtired - when she heard the Doctor calling her name. A smug, triumphant smirk appeared on her face. Of course, the Doctor was going to come back to get her, he wasn't going to leave her on her own.

She turned around to see the Time Lord and Danielle running towards her and the smile waivered on her face. Both of them looked terrified. Well, Danielle looked exhausted, but the Doctor had enough panic on his face for both of them. Instead of looking at her, their eyes were drawn up just above and behind her and she turned on the spot.

Out of a flash of light appeared a creature that absolutely terrified her. It hissed and opened its wings, and its mouth, and she screamed as it swooped for her.

"Rose!" Danielle shouted, pushing herself that little bit further to slam herself into the blonde. They both went flying, but the creature missed and she was safe. They both scrambled up off the floor and the Doctor pushed them onwards. "Get in the church!"

The others, including Jackie and Pete Tyler, had not missed the attack and quickly decided to listen to the strange man in a leather jacket. Jackie scooped up her daughter and they all headed to the gates, only to be greeted by more of the appearing out of the sky.

"Oh, my God. What are they? What are they?" one of the guests asked in horror.

Two swooped down, making a light lunch out of the father of the groom and the minister of the wedding. The Doctor ushered them all inside while they were busy, slamming the old wooden doors shut. The screeches echoed in the old stone church, but as they people panicked amongst themselves, it became clear that the creatures weren't trying to get into the building. They were safe, for now.

"They can't get in," the Doctor declared, his eyes darting around. "Old windows and doors. Okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else?"

Another screech rang out and the Doctor sprang into action. He turned to the person at his side, who happened to be Jackie. "Go and check the other doors! Move!"

Danielle followed him as he ran to check the rest of the doors. She wasn't sure what was happening, and she was rather afraid herself, and she didn't want to leave his side even for a second. He didn't seem too fussed, either, as he opened one of the side doors to the main hall, glancing inside, then shutting the door, then glancing at her. She shot him a queasy smile as Jackie joined them.

"What's happening? What are they? What are they?" she demanded.

"There's been an accident in time. A wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage," the Doctor explained, checking the next door. Jackie didn't look too pleased. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him.

"What do you mean, time?" she mocked. "What're you jabbering on about, _time_?"

The Doctor stopped what he was doing, shooting her an exasperated look that said that he really didn't have time for Jackie. "Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining."

Jackie gasped. "How do you know my name?"

"I haven't got time for this," the Doctor tried to continue but Jackie was scared, and angry and she wasn't letting him continue until he'd answered her question.

"I've never met you in my life!"

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out," the Doctor snapped back. "Now, if you don't mind," he glanced down at Danielle. "I've waited a long time to say this," he told her lowly before raising his voice and pointing to the back of the church. "Jackie Tyler, do as I say. _Go and check the doors_."

Jackie stared at him, obviously quite intimidated before nodding. "Yes, sir," she replied softly before turning and running off to do as she was told. With a giant grin on his face, the Doctor looked back at Danielle.

"I should have done that ages ago," he told her.

She was obviously trying to repress a grin at his actions, but he could see she was failing. "If she remembers that, she's going to be so angry at you."

The Doctor shrugged as the groom started walking towards them. "She's always angry at me."

"That's because you kidnapped her daughter for a year," Danielle teased back.

"I didn't kidnap her!" the Doctor retorted. "She came willingly."

"Well, how could she resist? A strange man in a travelling time machine; who could?"

"You didn't," he agreed.

"Still can't," she added on the end. He looked at her with a bit of a frown as she turned her attention to the groom. Had that been…? No, it can't have been, he was better at recognising a flirt than that. Still, she had a little bit of a flush to her cheeks. It made him stand up a little straighter.

Danielle, on the other hand, was absolutely mortified with what had come out of her mouth. She had never been a flirty person, but she knew it when she heard it. She couldn't even look at him, but at least he wasn't making fun of her.

"My dad was out there," the groom said and the Doctor knew immediately that he was the man that had been eaten by one of the creatures.

He placed a hand on each of his arms. "You can mourn him later," he told the young man in regret but also with urgency. "Right now we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive."

"What do you need me to do?" Danielle asked him and he motioned to the next door. He was grateful to have someone enthusiastic about helping rather than sitting there worrying. It was something he noticed in all his companions, but even now he was glad he'd chose her.

"Go check-"

"My dad had…" the groom started and the Doctor turned to him.

"There's nothing I can do for him!"

"No," the man replied shortly, and the Doctor stopped to listen to him. In his hand he held a very old brick telephone, like the ones that Danielle had seen on television but never in real life. "But he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice."

The Doctor snatched it off him, quickly dialling '999', an easy and quick number and, if connected, actually rather useful. He held it up to his ear, but all he heard was static, and then a male voice.

" _Watson, come here. I need you. Watson, come here. I need you."_

It looped on repeat, and the Doctor was actually amazed. He pointed to the phone. "That's the very first phone call," he told the pair. "Alexander Graham Bell."

"Wait, what?" Danielle asked and the Doctor handed it to her for a listen herself. Her eyebrows raised and she looked both amazed and excited by what she was hearing. "Hey, what do you know? It is! That's so cool!"

The Doctor nudged her and she stuck her tongue out before handing the phone back to the young man. "Sorry," she told him, feeling a bit embarrassed about her reaction. "I don't think calling the 1800s is going to help, though."

As the Doctor turned and locked the large wooden door they'd come up to, the groom looked distinctly frustrated.

"But someone must have called the police!"

"Police can't help you now. No one can!" the Doctor replied loudly, for everyone to hear. He turned his attention to Rose, keeping his eyes locked with the blonde. She looked incredibly distressed, guilty, sad… everything that he would expect someone to feel knowing what had happened because of their actions. But he was still hurt by being used like this. "Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilise the wound. By consuming everything inside."

"Is this because…" Rose started, but the look on the Doctor's face said it all. "Is this my fault?" she asked quietly.

The Doctor didn't reply, he just shot her a pointed look and strode off towards the back of the church. Danielle slowly approached Rose, who looked devastated, and gave her a soft smile. "I'm sorry," she told the blonde. "I'm sure something can be done."

"But I did this," Rose whimpered and Danielle glanced back to Pete. He was watching the blonde with a thoughtful look on his face, and Danielle could see where Rose got her curiosity from. He was working it out.

"Go spend time with him," she told Rose. "Time might not be able to stay this way, don't miss out."

Rose watched her jog off after the Doctor. She wanted to spend time with her Dad, she really did, but nothing was turning out like she wanted it to. What if, should he find out, he didn't like her?

 _~0~0~0~_

Danielle's attention had been pulled away from her task of barricading the remaining doors, and to one of the large windows that looked out onto the street. The world outside was devastatingly captivating. Or, rather, the lack of world outside. No people, no birds, no background noise. There had been the occasional scream, but now that had died away into nothing. London had always been a busy place, even in its quieter areas, but now there was nothing. No sign of any life at all.

Pete Tyler was doing his part, and rushed past her to lock the small door that had lost her attention. He took another look outside, also morbidly intrigued by what was happening to the world.

"Anything?" he asked and she shook her head. That was a lie, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him about the car that would, periodically, zoom around the corner, nor the man inside who braced himself for an impact that never came. She knew what it meant, the Doctor did too, but he was trying to save them all without sacrificing Pete Tyler. Danielle just wasn't sure that it was possible.

"Nothing," she whispered softly. "I think we're the only ones left."

The Doctor rushed into the room and up to the window where the two were looking out. He scanned the area as well, looking for signs that they weren't all doomed to die in a church. This was his fault, he should never have brought Rose back.

"I don't think it's just us," Pete told the other man. "I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world."

Pete was looking at the Doctor expectantly, and so all he saw was a flash of the beige car appearing once again. The echo of a crash and a death that had torn a hole in the universe. "Was that a car?"

The Doctor stared out at the street for a moment longer. Pete Tyler was a good man. If he explained what had happened, he'd take his fate bravely to save everyone else. He'd take it save Danielle, who he knew hadn't said a word to him nor would she. She didn't deserve to die like this, but he also couldn't hurt Rose either.

Guilty, without looking him the eye, the Doctor clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It's not important. Don't worry about it," he told the man before rushing out, hoping he could fix this and still keep Rose's father alive. Both Pete and Danielle watched him go, Pete confused and Danielle concerned.

She turned her attention to the other man, smiling softly. "I saw you looking at Rose earlier," she told him and he held his hands up in defence.

"Look, you know that nothing happened between us," he started and she shook her head.

"No, no, I know," she promised. "Of course it hasn't, she's your daughter."

Pete looked shocked, but not the shock of a man told something completely impossible, but the shock of a man who had been told something impossible _he'd_ thought of was true. "She can't be…"

"But she is," Danielle said. "And you know it, I know you do. And she's very sad right now. Don't you think she could use her dad?" With a bit of a bob of her head, she left after the Doctor. He was at the back of the room, checking another door as one of the creatures slammed against it. She jogged up to his side, feeling completely out of her depth and very scared.

"What do we do?" she asked and he turned, surprised at how she'd managed to sneak up on him. "They're going to get in eventually, aren't they?"

She looked terrified, eyes wide and worrying her hands in front of her. She hadn't deserved this, she'd tried to warn him not to do it, but he'd thought himself smart. He'd thought that Rose would know better. He'd thought he'd known Rose better, and now they were all suffering the consequences. All she had wanted was a better life than she had. Instead he'd taken it away.

He clapped his hands on her shoulders, shooting her the biggest smile he could. "I'm going to save us," he lied confidently. "Give me a little faith, eh Danni?"

She shot him a little look. "I've told you about that," she teased lightly, but he had already reassured her with his words, so she didn't care. His eyes were looking at her imploringly, like he needed her to say she believed him in more than she needed to know he had a plan. It broke her heart slightly, and once again she found herself wondering why everything fell on his shoulders.

She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Alright, my Spaceman, you have my faith," she told him. "I just don't see how you can do this if Pete's still alive."

"I'll work it out," he dismissed without offering her his own worries. He didn't know how he was going to save Pete and the universe either, but he was going to try until he couldn't anymore.

 _~0~0~0~_

Jackie and Pete were fighting over Rose yet again. Jackie thought that Rose was Pete's little thing on the side, and so was determined to rip him into shreds. That meant that the Doctor and Danielle - the only two people who seemed to know what they were doing - were now in charge of little baby Rose.

"Do you think, when she remembers this, Jackie will regret giving you Rose willingly?" Danni asked him as they sat on the choir stalls at the back of the church. She smiled as she reached up, rocking the baby carrier gently. There was no mistaking it was Rose, it was in the eyes.

"I think if Jackie ever remembers this she'd accuse me of poisoning her right from the start," the Doctor replied. Jackie wouldn't remember this, he knew she wouldn't. Even if they all made it out the other side safe from the creatures banging against the stone walls, chances of anyone but the three time travellers remembering this was slim. Time travel changed the way you saw the universe, and there was only one way that this mess could be fixed…

"That's not a bad idea, actually," he declared, turning his attention to the baby again. "Now, Rose you're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?"

Danielle glanced behind her at the sound of approaching footsteps, and saw Rose slowly making her way towards them. Her eyes were still wet with tears from where she had been crying, but she seemed to be calming down. Maybe now they can make up. The last thing she would want was for the Doctor and Rose to be angry at each other as the world ended.

She stood up, walking away without a word, rubbing Rose on the arm sympathetically as she walked past. The Doctor would forgive her, Danielle could tell he was fighting with himself to stay angry, but they still needed to talk it out.

She walked towards the pews, taking a seat in one and looking up at large stain glass windows that shone light into the room. They were beautiful, obviously rather old, and shone coloured light onto the ground below them. Unfortunately the light was broken up by the creatures flying past, screeching loudly in annoyance that they couldn't access their next meal.

Her mum would have been up north at this point, they didn't move down to London for another year or so yet. Had she already been eaten, or had she managed to find herself a safe space as well? It wasn't like she would ever know. Stuart, the groom, was still around and his father had been eaten by the universe's last defence. If her mum had been eaten, it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

She hadn't lied when she'd told the Doctor that he had her faith. She had seen it in his eyes, he was going to do _everything_ he could to save them all, but that didn't mean she didn't have her doubts. She could only see one way of this working, and he didn't seem to want to consider it an option. She didn't, really. Pete Tyler seemed like a nice man. He was just bumbling through life like everyone else, he didn't deserve to die the first time around and he certainly didn't deserve it now. How was anyone supposed to just walk up to a guy and say _'Hey, you're supposed to be dead, and we're all going to die unless you do die. So get to it_ '?

She certainly wasn't going to do it. She was much too cowardly and selfish to have that horrible decision on her shoulders, and she didn't blame the Doctor for one moment for being the same. But, there wasn't another way, was there?

She just wanted to talk to her mum again, one more time before they were all eaten alive by monsters. She wasn't the best mum in the world, but she'd never claimed to be. It would have been nice to say goodbye.

She blinked in surprise as the Doctor shot up into the pulpit, jacket it hand. Rose, on the other hand, rushed down and over to Danielle. "I think he has a plan," Rose said happily. "We need to get everyone in here."

Danielle nodded quickly, jumping up and rushing out with her. There weren't many people around that were congregated in the main hall, but while Rose went after Pete and Jackie, Danielle grabbed a couple of the left-over guests and ushered them into the room.

"The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound but we can use this to bring it back," he explained to them all, holding up the glowing TARDIS key.

Danielle leant closer to Rose. "Why is it glowing?"

"Apparently it's still connected to the TARDIS," Rose replied. "It means he can bring it back,"

"And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything," the Doctor continued, his authoritative voice echoing through the empty room. "Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?"

There was silence for a moment, because who brought a battery to a wedding, before Stuart shot up at the front of the room. He had grabbed his father's phone, and pulled the large battery pack out of the back. "This one big enough?" he asked as he quickly made his way to the Doctor.

The Doctor jumped down from the pulpit, meeting him half way. He used the screwdriver to charge the battery to full power - Danielle made a note to ask how it managed to do that - but they were all still very aware of the creatures trying to batter their way inside.

They weren't reassuring, and without asking to be let out into the aisle, she pushed past Rose and headed to the front with the church where the Doctor was still holding the key to the power pack.

"What's going to happen?" she asked.

"With a jumpstart, the key will be able to locate the door it should go in," the Doctor explained. "It'll act like a homing beacon, and the TARDIS should follow it back to us."

"And then you just save everyone?" she asked. "Just like that?"

He glanced at her, seeing the doubt on her face as well as hearing it in her tone. He knew it wasn't in his ability, but just in the chance of succeeding. "I thought you said you have faith in me?" he replied.

"I do," she replied instantly. "I-I think you're brilliant."

Her eyes widened and that blush appeared on her cheeks, like she hadn't meant to compliment him out loud. He grinned at her, rather flattered that she thought so. He thought the same about her, really. An ordinary girl, with an open mind and a thirst for more than her mediocre life would give her, but without the want to bring others down to get it. No one ever gave ordinary people credit, but it was the ones with a bit extra, the extraordinary ordinary ones that always caught his attention.

"How does the screwdriver power up a battery?" she asked, hoping to divert his attention from her outburst.

"Oh, it's quite simple, really," he replied. "It's like a normal charger. The sonic excites the molecules in the battery, creating the energy…" he glanced at her, expecting her to have that amused look Rose got on her face when he started to talk about science. Not that she was making fun of him, but that she had expected a shorter and easier to understand answer. "You're not bored," he commented.

Her face turned into a frown. "No, of course not," she replied. "I asked, didn't I?"

"I suppose you did, yeah," he replied and they shared a smile. The Doctor went back to explaining how the sonic worked when the sound of the TARDIS echoed in the room, a low rumble that caught everyone's attention.

"Oh, oh, we've got something," he exclaimed, holding the key out like he was about to unlock the door. He let go and it hung in the air.

"Woah," Danielle said lowly, impressed. The air around the key seemed to shimmer as well, showing the lock that it had been looking for, slowly stretching out into the outline of the TARDIS, shining gold and still transparent. She looked up at him, absolutely amazed. "It's actually working!" she exclaimed and he nodded.

"Didn't I tell you?" he retorted cheekily. "You should know not to doubt me."

He shrugged his jacket back on, running up to the pulpit to address the small crowd once again. "Right, no one touches that key. Have you got that?" he called out. "Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be, well, zap," he imitated being electrocuted. "Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us," he turned to the not-so-happy couple, who had approached him earlier for reassurance. "Stuart, Sarah you're going to get married, just like I said."

He glanced over at Danielle, who was watching the TARDIS materialise with a bright grin of absolute amazement. He couldn't quite take his gaze off her.

 _~0~0~0~_

Rose hadn't moved from her seat, and Pete had moved behind her after checking on his wife and daughter. Well, the younger version of his daughter.

Danielle and the Doctor had joined her to wait out the time it would take for the TARDIS to appear. Danielle had asked him how long it would take, but all he had been able to offer her was 'before the creatures break through the walls'. It had been reassuring, but the waiting was becoming rather boring.

"When time gets sorted out…" Rose started.

"Everybody here forgets what happened," the Doctor finished for her, his hands crossed over his chest. "And don't worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed."

"You mean I'll still be alive, though I'm meant to be dead," the trio turned in unison, although Rose was the only one who was surprised that he had worked it out. "That's why I haven't done anything with my life, why I didn't mean anything."

The Doctor felt incredibly sorry for the man, who was now realising that had happened to keep him alive. He turned back to face the front of the church, Danielle joining him and feeling very uncomfortable. "It doesn't work like that," he replied quietly.

"Rubbish," Pete scoffed. "I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened."

Rose reached out to her dad. "This is my fault," she insisted. Pete took the hand that she had offered.

"No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault."

"Her dad?" they all looked over to see Jackie stood there, baby Rose in her arms. "How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve? Oh, that's disgusting."

The Doctor shook his head, once again exasperated at Jackie Tyler assuming something she didn't know. He stood up, walking past Danielle's legs, who quickly joined him. She really didn't want to be caught in a Tyler domestic, like some perverted outsider looking in.

"Jacks, listen," Pete started. "This is Rose."

"Rose?" Jackie exclaimed, horrified. "How sick is that? You give my daughter a second-hand name? How many are there? Do you call them all Rose?"

Pete sighed in frustration. His wife never listened, and everything was always a fight. "Oh, for God's sake, look. It's the same Rose!"

He reached out and took the baby from Jackie's arms, passing her down to Rose, who took her out of instinct. The Doctor's eyes widened in horror and he pushed the chairs out of the way to get to her.

"Rose! No!" he shouted, snatching her out of Pete's arms. Unfortunately he was too late, Rose had barely touched her younger self but it was enough. As he shoved the baby back into Jackie's arm, a creature flashed into existence above the TARDIS. Screams filled the air as the rest of the church ran to the back. The Doctor moved forward, arms out wide.

"Everyone, behind me!" he commanded, and everyone was quick to do as he said. Danielle fell next to Rose and the two girls stayed as close to the Doctor as they could.

"What do we do?" Danielle exclaimed in panic. "The TARDIS isn't here yet!"

And she was right. The Doctor glanced at the materialising time machine, and knew they were out of options. He only had one way to save the group, and he was it.

He strode forward, away from everyone else. "I'm the oldest thing in here," he told the creature and Danielle's eyes widened in horror.

The Doctor had said that the creatures couldn't get into the church because it was old, because the age of the building protected them, but now the creature was inside. Their only protection was the next oldest thing, and he was it. Nine hundred years old, their only hope, and he was offering himself to the creature to protect them.

She set off in a run, shaking her head as she powered towards him. She couldn't let him do this, she had to stop him, had to save him.

" _Doctor!_ " she heard Rose scream in the background as the creature swooped, but she didn't look back. She just slammed into his side, hoping to get him out of the way as the creature's open mouth descended on them both.

"Danielle, no!"

She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to whatever was listening that it wouldn't hurt, that at least he'd be okay.

There was nothing for a moment. It felt like she was flying through nothingness. And then they both slammed to the floor, knocking the chairs out of the way as they both landed heavily, Danielle on top of the Doctor. She stared at him, wide eyed and panting for only a fraction of a second before she turned, looking for the creature.

She wouldn't have felt a thing, but the Doctor had. He'd felt himself get eaten out of existence, his whole being suddenly removed from time and space, never to be anything ever again. He knew that it would have happened to her as well, and the only reason they were on the floor of the church together was because something had happened that he hoped that he'd been able to stop.

"Where-" Danielle panted. "Where is everyone?"

"Time's reverted to before Pete was saved," the Doctor told her and she looked down at him in confusion.

"Before Pete was saved?" she echoed. "But that would mean…" he only had to give her a look and she was quickly climbing off him. "What about Rose?" she asked.

He held his hand out to the red head, and they walked out of the church together. Rose was at the doorway, watching the road, heartbroken at her father, who was lying on the floor by the beige car. The driver was finally free of the loop he'd been stuck in.

"Go to him," the Doctor told her gently and she looked up at her friend. She didn't even look surprised that they were both with her now. "Quick."

And, this time, Rose did it right. She ran from the church steps, down the path, and onto the road. While everyone else came out to see what was happening, Rose knelt down by her dad and took his hand, staying with him until he died.

Then she climbed off the floor, walked over to the Doctor and Danielle, who were still hand in hand. Danielle offered her a sympathetic smile as she took the Doctor's hand, and they headed off to the TARDIS together.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed this little chapter. I hope the next gap isn't as long, but you know I can't promise anything :P_

 _Reviews :)_

 _ **Booklover0608** \- I'm glad you're enjoying it, sweetie! Nope, she wouldn't recognise Jack, but that's because he's not **this** Danielle's father, but they'll get on rather well._

 _ **bwburke94** \- Yeah, it was a really stupid move really. Nothing really changes yet because she's settling in, but the next episode will really change._

 _ **Seconds** **and** **Stars** \- Oh, there were even more kiss points in this one. Oh well :P_

 _ **scarlet** **rose** **white** \- Thanks sweetie! Hope you liked this one too!_

 _ **KatMackenzie93** \- Thanks sweetie! I also prefer Danni/Eleven, but these two are very cute together too XD_

 _ **Guest** \- Well, here you go :P_

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- Thanks sweetie! It's been rather fun doing Nine in the right order XD_

 _ **bored411** \- Ah, unfortunately no keeping calm. I felt that, as she's always there to save the Doctor, it would be one of those times she'd try and save him. Plus, I think Rose and Pete deserved their moment :)_

 _ **goddragonking** \- Thanks sweetie! Hope you enjoyed this one too :)_


	9. A Chat

Rose hadn't wanted to spend time with either of her friends. Partly out of guilt to the fate that she'd doomed them to, and partly out of the sadness of her father's death, she'd hid herself away in her bedroom with the excuse that she was too tired to stay in the console room with them for another adventure.

Danielle didn't really know what to do. On one hand, she hadn't wanted to leave Rose to grieve on her own, and on the other she didn't want to leave the Doctor on his own to overthink a situation. She knew that he blamed himself for what had happened with Pete as much as Rose did. So she played it safe, and sat on the pilot seat as the Doctor flew them away and to somewhere in space. He didn't say much, but neither did she, as much as she wanted to. He looked so troubled and she wanted to make him feel better. His face suited a smile a lot more than it suited a frown.

She blushed slightly at the thought. She barely knew him, and yet she seemed to have the thought that she did, that she knew enough to be able to tell what made him look better. He just seemed so… nice. So kind.

The Doctor leant against the railings watching her turn slightly pink before calming herself down again. She didn't look up at him, though, and he knew that was because he was staring down at her rather than looking over at her.

He crossed his arms in front of him. "You shouldn't have tried to push me out of the way," he told her. "You could have been wiped out time permanently."

"Yeah, but you were going being all 'self-sacrifising'," Danielle replied, looking up with a challenge in her eye. She had to admit, she hadn't expected him to tell her off for it. "You were the only one who could have gotten all those peope out safely, it was a stupid move."

"The creatures were in the building, I had no other choice," he replied. "I was the oldest thing there, I was their main target."

"And in that same instance, you chose to let Pete Tyler die," she pointed out, standing up. "When you - you - told Rose that with the TARDIS you could save everyone! She was nearly there, why the hell would you try to do anything but stall?"

His eyes flashed but she didn't back down. "Anyone, including me, who was eaten could have been brought back with Pete Tyler still alive as long as you didn't die! And-"

"I wasn't going to let anyone die in my place," he snapped. "I won't have that on my shoulders, not again.

Danielle's held her hand up, finger pointing in the air and her own anger flashed across her face. _"I'm not finished,_ " she snapped, voice raised. The Doctor actually paused, surprised by her annoyance at being interrupted, but considering how she'd treated the man on Satellite Five, he should have known better.

Danielle took a deep breath to calm herself down. " _And_ ," she repeated pointedly, and calmer. "And I was not about to stand there and watch my friend die. Not while I have a chance to stop it. I am _always_ going to try and save you, so you're just going to have to deal with it."

He wasn't sure how to think. Part of him was elated that someone thought of him as worthy enough to save, a dark part of himself was happy that _she_ thought as much. Her convinction in her words was evident by her bright eyes and her straight stance. Her chest was jutting out slightly, as if daring him to contradict him.

But he didn't deserve it. He'd done some terrible things. Things he knew she had no idea about and he once again felt like he'd tricked someone into being his friend. He'd done the same to Rose until he'd not been able to keep it in anymore and he'd told her some things. Not everything, but enough to make her understand that he had been to war and that he had a scar in his past that couldn't be healed.

But he didn't want Danielle to know that, not yet. He wanted her friendship to be untainted, he didn't want to look into her eyes one day and see the uncertainty that he saw in Rose's when something bad was happening. Rose trusted him, but she knew that his way meant that they might die. He didn't want Danielle to think like that. Not yet.

"Don't do it again," he told her firmly. "I won't have you die for me. That's not why I brought you onto the TARDIS."

"Why did you bring me, then?" she countered. "You've shown me things, you could just drop me off but you haven't. Why are you letting me stay?"

He wanted to shout at her for being such a stupid little human, but he knew he didn't have a defence. He would have jumped in front of either of them the same way that she jumped in front of him. She was right; he was self-sacrificing, especially now the two young women were the only thing he had to lose. How could he lecture her on being stupid when he was an idiot himself?

"Because I only let the best travel with me," he replied simply and her angry frown turn into a beaming grin. He couldn't help but smile back. "Go on, go see Rose."

 _~0~0~0~_

Rose had opened the door when Danielle had knocked on it, which was further than she had expected to get that evening. However, it was obvious that while she didn't want to be alone, she didn't really want to talk either, so they both sat on her bed in silence.

Danielle knew she was feeling a lot at that moment. Happiness that she'd met her father, sadness that she'd not been able to save him. Guilt for all the damage she'd caused, and at how Pete had jumped in front of a car knowingly to save it. On some level it seemed better that he hadn't known that was his last moment. He was a good man, and she'd driven him to kill himself.

"When my mum told my dad that she was pregnant, he had been the happiest she had ever seen him," the redhead started, looking at her hands in her lap. "He'd taken her to the pub and they'd celebrated into the early hours of the morning. It was the early 80's, so my mum had a couple of drinks, no one seemed to mind."

Rose glanced at her, wondering why she was telling her this story. "When she woke up the next morning, he was gone. He hardly took a thing, just some money, a couple of changes of clothes and his passport. She never saw him again."

This surprised Rose. She had known that Danielle didn't live with her father, but she'd always assumed it was the product of divorce. It wasn't uncommon around her area, after all. "Really?" she asked.

Danielle nodded. "She only managed to stay in their flat until I was born. We moved to another one until I was two, then we came down to London. His parents have always been wonderful to me but I don't see them very often, and both my mum's parents are dead so I only really have her."

A little smile appeared on Danielle's face. "I know they don't see him anymore either. He wrote to them once, and told them that I was the worst thing that had ever happened to his life. That it was my fault that he'd had to move and get a new job. That I destroyed his life and that while they had contact with me, they weren't to contact him again," she looked up at a shocked, almost outraged Rose. "They don't know I know that," she explained. "I found the letter when I was trying on some jewellery. My nan had kept it because it was the last thing her son ever sent her but I still see them about once a year, so I was what they chose."

"Why are you telling me this?" Rose asked her and Danielle shrugged.

"Because you had a hard time," she replied. "Because you lost your dad, and it's hard, and I wanted to show that I really have no idea what you're going through. I never had a dad to lose, but I'm still here if you need anything."

Rose took a moment to think about what Danielle had told her. She couldn't imagine what being rejected so hard by her father would feel like, but she was still too deep in her own grief to be able to fully appreciate it.

Instead of focusing on either of their fathers, and to escape the pain, she leant back slightly, her hands on the bed behind her. "You know, I think this is the most you've ever spoken to me," she teased and Danielle ducked her head, flushing in embarrassment.

"Well, I'm just… you know, quiet," she offered as a reason and Rose shook her head.

"Not true," she replied before smirking in amusement. "You ripped Adam a new one, you were so angry. You definitely weren't quiet then."

"That's different," Danielle defended and Rose started laughing. "He deserved it. He traded in the whole human race for ideas he was probably going to sell!" Rose just shot her a look and she sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'm not quiet. I just… you know, I'm shy."

Rose nudged her. She still felt sad, she probably was going to for a little while now, but Danielle had actually managed to cheer her up. "We've known each other for years," Rose pointed out. "You've no need to by shy around me."

"We haven't, though, have we?" Danielle pointed out. "We've just walked past each other a lot. We've spoken to each other more since I came board than we have our entire lives."

Rose frowned. She was right, really. They'd hung around in different crowds at school, never really crossing paths. They'd not avoided each other, and it was true that Rose teased a few of the people around Danielle a little, but she'd not even ever turned her misguided meanness on the red-head. She'd pretty much slipped under Rose's radar.

And Danielle hadn't really tried to offer an olive branch, either. She had been a bit of a school snob in that regard. She'd always enjoyed learning and Rose and her mates were always the people stopping her getting on with her lessons. She enjoyed a joke and a mess about the same as everyone, she'd had a couple of detentions she'd always been proud to share, but they were the ones who took it too far and it just had become annoying.

She'd grown out of that, thankfully, but by that point it had been too late. They'd been divided up into strength sets, and Danielle had managed to get quite high in most of hers, whereas Rose had managed to get pretty average with very little effort. They'd not seen each other in class much after that, and that had been the end of it.

If she had imagined herself travelling in a spaceship - she hadn't, but looking back as if she might have - Danielle would never have imagined it to have been with Rose Tyler. Nor would she have imagined being the one to gate-crash her trip with the alien who flew it. But, there they were, and they were getting on and it was one of those wonderful surprises that life liked to throw at you.

"That doesn't explain one thing, though," Rose said thoughtfully and Danielle's brows furrowed. "You've been rather talkative with the Doctor, and you're quite happy to tell him what you think. You're not shy around him."

Danielle shrugged, blushing slightly. "He's different, isn't he?" she replied. "He's the Doctor, it's hard to be shy around him. He just- he brings it out of you."

Rose shook her head, another smirk appearing on her face. "That's not it, is it?" she teased. She could tell. She hadn't seen it until that point, but Danielle wouldn't look at her and she could see her flushing just at thought of him. "You fancy him."

"No I don't!" Danielle exclaimed back and Rose laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh, you _so_ fancy him!" she cried gleefully.

"I-" Danielle started, faltering as she glanced at the door. There was no sign of him coming into the room, and the TARDIS was big enough that he probably wouldn't come, right? "I don't know, alright?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Of course you know," she replied. "It's not like it's the first time you've fancied someone."

Danielle looked down at her feet, her face bright red. "I-I think I'm going to go make a cuppa, want one?" she asked. She knew Rose would have laughed. Everyone always laughed.

Rose seemed to sense that she'd said something wrong and as Danielle went to stand, Rose took hold of her arm. "Wait, what's wrong?" she asked and Danielle shrugged, not wanting to say. "You _have_ fancied someone before, right? Like a boyfriend or sommat?"

Danielle shrugged again. Rose wasn't letting go of her arm, and she knew that the blonde wasn't going to let this drop, she could just tell. "I never really had time for it," she started, trying to come up with an excuse. "And- And boys were always great friends and all, but they all were a bit… you know, gross? I did think that maybe it was girls but…"

Rose let go of her arm. "I'm sorry," she apologised sincerely. "I didn't mean to make fun of you or anything. There's nothing wrong with that, you know?"

Danielle looked at her sceptically. "Are you sure?"

Rose nodded. "It happens differently for everyone," Rose replied. "And, quite frankly, the boys in our year _were_ gross," she pulled her legs up onto the bed. "I mean, look at my mum. She had a few boyfriends before my dad, and has had quite a few after, but none of them have ever been around for more than a couple of weeks. She doesn't really fancy them, she just gets lonely. It was only ever my dad, really."

"I've read books about it and stuff," Danielle replied, shuffling on the spot. "I've just never, you know, _felt_ it before."

"Well, what does it feel like?" Rose pressed and Danielle bit her lip as she thought about the alien who was probably oblivious to their conversation. About his geeky grin, and how he'd shown her so many things already. How he'd taken it upon himself to save the universe and was surprised that someone wanted to help, let alone wanted to save him. He made her laugh, and he'd seen her and decided to take her for a ride as well.

"He's caught my attention," she replied softly and Rose shrugged.

"Well, let's stick with that for now," the other woman replied. "I like a lot of sugar in my tea."

The comment took Danielle by surprise, but then she rolled her eyes. "That's gross," she told the blonde bluntly. "It'll just taste of sweetness."

Rose grinned. "Exactly. I'll wait here, shall I?"

Danielle shook her head with a grin. "Alright, Miss Tyler. Is there anything else?"

"Actually, there is," she replied cheekily. "Does that mean you've not kissed anyone either?"

Danielle flushed and turned on her heel. "I'm leaving," she declared as punishment for her question.

Rose laughed as she stormed out, knowing she wasn't really mad. "Danni, wait!" she called after her. "I was only joking."

"It's Danielle!" the red-head called back.

Rose continued to giggle as the door closed behind her. She had to admit, it was quite nice to have someone else on board. Someone she could talk to about normal, ordinary things like who they fancied. The Doctor was great, but it did feel like he was just a bit too big, and he was always open about his rejection of anything he deemed 'domestic'. And she'd found out more about Danni - _Danielle_ \- in the last five minutes that she could have ever hoped to, and it felt nice. It felt like she had another friend on the journey with her, and that was only ever going to be a good thing.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to get it done and it wasn't working right. I hope this is alright :)_

 _Reviews :)_

 _ **TheSlayerOfGallifrey** \- Thanks sweetie! My aim is to have a Doctor who knows more than she does for once, so she'd going into every adventure with zero knowledge XD_

 _ **Counting** **Sinful** **Stars** \- No, it'll be a theme for her XD_

 _ **TwinTigerLover** \- Yeah, this is going to be a very long-running fanfic. The blurb will make more sense as the story progresses. But thanks :D_

 _ **bored411** \- Thanks, sweetie! We've got a little longer to wait for Jack ;)_

 _ **Emzy2k11** \- Thanks sweetie! Here you go :)_

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- Hehe a little bit of telling off in this one. Hehe, oh, God Complex would be good, wouldn't it? Nope, no death yet! This Danni might take a little longer than you think, but it's a-coming x_

 _ **Seconds** **and** **Stars** \- I put kiss points everywhere, you know that :P_


	10. The Shakespeare Code Part 1

Rose wouldn't stop smirking at Danielle. The red-head was sure that she was doing it just to get under her skin, but every time they were all together, Rose would shoot her this little smirk, nodding at the Doctor when he wasn't paying attention to her.

Each time Danielle could feel herself blushing and wondering if she was wise to let Rose know that little secret about herself. Sure, the Doctor had caught her attention, but at the same time she wasn't sure _what_ she felt for the alien man. And, even if she did feel something, it wasn't as if it mattered anyway. In human terms he would have been twice her age, and he was actually like nine hundred. Both she and Rose were like children to him. It would be weird, wouldn't it?

"Anywhere you want," the Doctor was tempting Danielle. "All of time and space. What time period would you like to go see?"

Danielle shrugged. "I dunno," she replied and he deflated slightly. "How do you expect me to choose when you give me such a wide selection? It's like… It's like offering me a giant selection box and going 'only have one, mind'. I can't decide!"

"There's so many fantastic sights," he exclaimed. "Famous times, famous places! There must be a famous figure that you would like to visit!"

Danielle looked at him with a quizzical face. That caught her attention, and there was only one name that popped to mind. "Anyone?"

"Within reason," he replied, giving her a condition now that he knew she had an idea. "Who are you thinking of?"

"Shakespeare," she replied. Both the Doctor and Rose looked surprised by her suggestion and she looked down at her feet, flushing in embarrassment. "What? I'm doing English Lit at university. Did you expect a footballer or sommat?"

"No, of course not," the Doctor replied before his face lit up. He turned to Rose. "It's a shame she wasn't here for Charles."

Rose nodded, completely amused by the entire conversation. She could see it now. Danielle always stood at his side, always sat on the railing nearest wherever he was working. Even if she didn't know what she was feeling, she was definitely in awe of the Time Lord and it was just too adorable.

"You two could have nerded out together," Rose agreed.

"Charles?" Danielle asked, confused.

"We met Charles Dickens," Rose explained, looking around the Doctor. Danielle's mouth immediately dropped open, like she couldn't believe that she missed such a fantastic experience.

"You met Charles Dickens?" she exclaimed. "I-I read ' _A Christmas Carol'_ every Christmas Eve!"

"Have you ever read _'The Signal Man'_?" the Doctor asked almost as eagerly as he had gushed about it to the author himself.

Danielle nodded eagerly. "It was the first thing I ever read of his," she replied just as happily. "I was looking for old-fashioned horror stories for English in primary school."

"Wasn't it terrifying?" he pressed and again she nodded.

"Absolutely. I don't read it often…"

"Alright, alright, you're both nerds, we get it," Rose interrupted before the conversation started to go too far over her head. "Are we going to see Shakespeare or not?"

Danielle looked at the Doctor with a hopeful, pleading look on her face. "Can we, though?" she asked. "Please, I absolutely adore him."

The Doctor sighed, as if it was a big inconvenience for him, although he was very pleased indeed with the suggestion. "Oh, alright then."

Danielle squealed in delight, rushing over and giving him a quick hug that he returned heartily. It was nice to see someone so enthused with the joy of time travel. Rose definitely enjoyed it, and it was wonderful to see her reaction to the new places he took her, but Danielle seemed to wear her excitement for everyone to see. And now, knowing she was just grateful for seeing more than her ordinary life regardless of what it was rather than looking for the next greatest thing in the universe, it seemed so much more wonderfully addictive.

He let her go and turned to the console. "Shakespeare, here we come," he cried and the whole room shuddered as he set them off into flight. The two girls held onto the console, and they shared a grin at the prospect of going somewhere new. Of course, Danielle was much more excited than Rose, her mind racing over what she would say, what they would do. Would they really see the man in the flesh? They'd been forward in time before, but not back, and it was just all _so_ exciting!

When the TARDIS landed on the other side of their trip, Danielle bounced on the spot with pure delight. "Oh, I can't take this, this is too awesome," she gushed. "Can I go out first? Please?"

She looked ready to bolt for the door, and she still didn't know what was outside. The Doctor hadn't told her the year, the city, the time of day or season. She was just so excited at the prospect of meeting someone she really loved and it was incredibly contagious.

"I don't see why not," he told her. "You might want to get changed first, though."

She frowned slightly before looking down at her outfit. She'd actually put a bit of effort into her clothes that morning, something Rose had seen immediately and shot her an amused look at that Danielle had _not_ appreciated. It was the skirt, wasn't it? He didn't like the skirt…

"Oh!" she exclaimed, flushing at her own slowness. "Because- Because of the century, yeah?"

Rose grabbed her hand. "This is my territory," she told the red-head, dragging her towards the hallway. "He can take you to all corners of the universe, but I can make you look fantastic for when we're there."

The Doctor watched them walk off together. He was so happy they were getting along, and since they had gone back to see Pete Tyler they seemed to be closer than ever. He was glad. He knew that travelling the universe could be overwhelming when your life outlook wasn't much past your garden fence until, one day, a man in a blue phone box appeared and told you to open the gate.

"Don't take too long," he called after them. "I'm not waiting around forever."

 _~0~0~0~_

They didn't take too long, thankfully, although the Doctor was starting to get a little impatient. He understood the need to get changed but not the deliberation that went behind it. Most places would just accept you if you pretended you owned the place. They would, at worst, comment on your strange clothing but most wouldn't go much past that at all. As long as they didn't wear anything too 'out there' they should have been fine.

He heard the clicking of their boots on the metal floor before he saw them, and although he didn't see the point, he was curious to see what they'd chosen for themselves. If they were going to fit in, he hoped they did it right.

Rose was wearing a light green dress that wasn't dissimilar from the one she'd worn when they'd met Charles Dickens. A bit more velvet, and bit less formfitting, but the style was the same. She looked great, and he grinned at her. "You look…"

He trailed off as Danielle stepped into the room behind her, looking rather shy about herself. Unlike Rose, her outfit was much more of a daytime number. She had an off-white skirt with a brown top, and the women had given her a half up, half down hairdo that suited her wonderfully.

He blinked at her for a moment as she stood by Rose. The two women held themselves so differently. Rose seemed confident, Danielle seemed almost uncomfortable. That was a shame, she had no reason to be. She looked just as lovely as Rose did, even more so in fact. Her understated look actually let her shine.

He looked away, checking the outside one last time. "You _both_ look lovely," he corrected himself like that was what he was always going to say. Rose knew different. She'd seen enough movies to know the cliché and overused ' _she stunned him into silence'_ trope, but she still found it very lovely indeed when pointed at her friend.

Danielle just flushed slightly, swirling her skirt around her legs. She was glad that he liked it, because she was fond of the outfit as well. She could really get used to getting dressed up for each trip they went on together. Maybe they'd find some rather interesting outfits in the future as well.

"Danni wouldn't play," Rose replied as they walked towards the Time Lord. "She wouldn't wear the dress I picked out for her."

"Danielle," the Doctor corrected in a little bit of a mumble and Rose frowned.

"Sorry?"

He glanced up between the two women. Danielle's eyes were wide, like she was horrified that he'd corrected Rose at all. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all. "Danielle probably wants to experience the trip without being squashed by a corset," he said, pulling the reason out of thin air. He quickly moved on from the conversation, nudging Danielle towards the door. "Go on, then."

She grabbed her skirt, pulling it up as she ran to the doors. She appreciated the Doctor correcting Rose, it showed that he listened to her and that made her happier than it probably should. However, her attention was quickly pulled to the two doors that lead out into the world outside.

She didn't need to take a deep breath, or steel herself up against the reveal. She quickly opened the door, pulling it in and revealing Elizabethan London on the other side. The stone floor clicked underneath her boots much like the metal floor had done in the TARDIS, but she didn't really hear it over the hustle and bustle outside. Although the sky was dark and cloudy, with barely any light coming from the moon at all, the street was lit by lamplight. People were going about their evening business, walking between the Tudor style houses. Some people hanging up washing, some people were just walking and talking with each other. Children played in the street.

It was strange how much it felt like present day London. If she imagined all the time specific items out of the way, replaced them with their modern alternatives, it could have just been like any of the estates that populated the capital.

"Oh wow," she whispered as Rose and the Doctor joined her outside. Rose was also taking in the area, although her nose was wrinkled up, a look of disgust on her face.

"It doesn't half stink," she commented and Danielle nodded, her look of wonder never fading.

"I know," she agreed. "Isn't it marvellous?"

The Doctor chuckled, pleased that the lack of plumbing wasn't going to ruin her mood. He stepped in between the two women, holding out his arm to the woman who had chosen the trip.

"Shall we?" he asked and she looked up at him. She couldn't contain her happiness, she could feel herself becoming positively giddy as she nodded, threading her arm through his. The trio starting walking down the cobbled streets, the people around them paying them no mind at all. Another thing modern London held in common with the place.

"So, when are we?" Rose asked, watching the two and wondering if this was what her mates felt like around her and Mickey. Probably not, because Mickey had rarely paid her any attention, especially around over people.

"1599," he replied. "Late summer. We're should be in Southwark if my parking skills are up to scratch," he looked down at Danielle, the picture of smugness. "Which I know they are."

"Yeah, it's your driving that needs looking into," Rose teased back and Danielle giggled.

"Oi, my driving is just fine," he protested.

"Wait, if we're in Southwark, does that mean we're near the Globe?" Danielle asked.

"That's the theatre where he performed, isn't it?" Rose asked.

"Well, he didn't really perform," Danielle replied. "His performance troupe did. He owned a share in it. It was built in 1599, so it can't be very old at all. Scholars dispute the opening, though. It burnt down in 1613, then was rebuilt, then eventually torn down in the mid-1600s."

"And here was me thinking I was going to have to play tour guide," the Doctor teased and she flushed, her head ducking forward.

"I told you, I love Shakespeare," she replied softly. She always embarrassed herself reciting off titbits when they weren't wanted.

"No, please, continue," the Doctor encouraged. "Takes a little responsibility off my shoulders."

So she did. As they walked down the river towards where the theatre stood, she told them a little about the history. How it was built from the wood used on theatre that stood before it, and how it burnt down during a performance of _Henry VII_. Rose was rather amused by the way she could spew out the facts, reminding her a little of the Doctor in that regard, while the Doctor was impressed by her knowledge. He could tell how much she treasured the information she knew. The passion she felt for it was on her face as she rambled.

She trailed off, though, as the theatre came into view. It took he breathe away as she came to a stop just up the road from it. It stood out magnificently amongst the buildings that surrounded it, one large wall circling it with pointed roofs inside. People were making their way towards it in small crowds, obviously about to go see a performance.

"Oh my god, it's the Globe," she whispered in her awe.

"Actually, it's more of a tetradecagon," the Doctor replied offhandedly. "It's got fourteen sides, you see?"

"Show off," Danielle replied, her amazement taking away her nervousness at teasing him. She'd already seen a quite a lot with the Doctor. She'd been into the future, and to the moon. She'd met killing machines, and seen time almost be ripped to shreds. However, nothing seemed to compare to the idea of seeing William Shakespeare himself. Something she had longed to do when researching him or reading one of his many, wonderful plays. Now it was really happening, and it was all down to the man who's arm she now held tightly.

"Well, let's not stand around gawking," the Doctor declared. If this was how she reacted to just seeing the building, she'll be beside herself during the performance. "If we wanted to see the Globe, I could have shown you a picture. Let's go have a looksie at how the plays are supposed to be done."

Her face lit up and she practically started dragging him towards the building. "Do you know what they're performing?" she asked him.

"Not a clue," he replied, his voice just as happy as hers was. "I find it more fun that way."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Well, 1599, that could mean so many! Henry V was supposedly written this year, but we may not be in time for it. Or there's Henry VI and Much Ado about Nothing. They're around this time as well."

"What about Romeo and Juliet?" Rose asked. "Remember when we did that in English?"

Danielle nodded. "Yeah. They wanted us to perform it, didn't they?"

"But we all mucked about so they called it off," Rose recalled, laughing along with her memory. "Me and Shareen spent two lessons inside the costume cupboard. We must have tried on every single thing in there."

Danielle smiled softly to herself. "I think I spent them reading the play," she replied. "I didn't want to perform, I just wanted to read it."

She shrugged. "Romeo and Juliet is a few years old by now, so there is definitely a chance. There's Love's Labour's Lost, Comedy of Errors. I'm quite partial to Taming of the Shrew, that was done roughly the same time as Romeo and Juliet."

"No point in speculating," the Doctor told them both. "The theatre awaits."

 _~0~0~0~_

Danielle couldn't even describe the feeling of being in front of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, in the original Globe theatre, in 1599. It was too much to experience to be able to put into words. As she watched the performance of _Love Labour's Won -_ which was one of the plays she'd guessed which she was rather smug about - she couldn't stop thinking about how lucky she was. She should have grabbed a camera or something, but then again it wasn't like she could show anyone. And even if she did, who would believe that she had actually seen the Lord Chamberlain's Men in person? She'd get locked up.

Still, it was simply marvellous. They were wonderful, just wonderful. Everyone was at the edge of their seat, or the tips of their toes depending on where they were in the audience.

"Does the TARDIS not translate this?" Rose whispered as she struggled to understand the ye olde English that the actors were speaking in. "We've been into the past before and I've had no trouble."

"This is the translation," the Doctor explained as Danielle nodded in agreement.

"Shakespeare should always be enjoyed in the language it was written in," she said. She was still holding onto the Doctor's arm, and she kept clenching her hand on it whenever something happened worthy of her attention. "Remember that Romeo and Juliet released in the 90's?"

"With Leo DiCaprio?" Rose asked in reply and Danielle nodded. "Oh, he was very _yum_ in that, wasn't he?"

Danielle didn't agree, but she didn't acknowledge it. "Think about how much better it was because they were talking from the script, rather than translated into 'modern' English."

Rose did think about it, for a moment, before nodding. "Point taken."

Danielle grinned before leaning her head on the Doctor's arm, an overfamiliar action that neither of them noticed but Rose did. "Watch the play, Rose, you'll enjoy it."

So Rose tried to ignore the fact that she didn't quite understand what they were saying, and it turned out that Danielle was right. There was romance, pregnancies, and it had its moments where it was rather funny.

It was also rather fun to watch the Doctor and Danielle together. They kept sharing little facts about the play together, huddled up together so they wouldn't disturb everyone around them. Part of her was worried that she was being replaced as the Doctor's friend, granted, but another felt like she was watching some sort of romantic comedy playing out in front of her. The two friends who have found themselves at a random point in their lives, with more in common than they originally would have thought.

Rose frowned to herself; did this make her the girlfriend that would be jilted for them to be together? She hoped not, but maybe she should keep an eye on that anyway.

It was with more enthusiasm than normal that she clapped at the end of the play. The whole theatre troop came out to bow, soaking in the accolades they were receiving.

"That was amazing," Danielle gushed. "That was more than amazing. It was… I don't know the word to describe it, but it was totally that."

The Doctor nodded. "Nothing better than a bit of local entertainment," he agreed. "Authentic, just how it's supposed to be seen."

"Exactly how it's supposed to be seen," Danielle agreed with a nod and the two shared a smile.

Rose grumbled slightly. "Yeah, and how it's supposed to smell, as well."

"When do we get to see Shakespeare?" Danielle asked, missing Rose's little complaint. "Do we have to go around the side, like to the stage door or something?" she gasped, obviously in annoyance. "Oh, I should have brought something for him to sign!"

The Doctor chuckled. "Hopefully, if we're very lucky, then we should just have to wait here a little longer."

And just as he trailed off, the crowd's applause rose even higher and Danielle's eyes lit up. The man himself, William _freaking_ Shakespeare, walked onto the stage. He had raggedy hair, with a matching beard, and he was obviously used to being in front of his fans. As they cheered him on, he raised his hand, blowing grateful kisses into the crowd.

"Oh my," Danielle breathed. "He's- He's so…"

"He's hot," Rose declared in a disbelieving tone and Danielle had to nod in agreement. She may not have truly fancied anyone before, but she could appreciate a good-looking man when she saw him. It wasn't just the looks, either. His reputation and his charm radiated out from him. "I thought he'd be, you know, bald and in something covered in ruffles."

"1599," Danielle started with a shrug. "He's only like, 34, 35? Portraits tend to depict him much older than that."

She couldn't help it. She jumped up and down, whooping along with everyone else. She briefly wondered if it was moments like this that had driven the more popular kids, like Rose, away from her at school. But she didn't care. Rose seemed to be joining in with the clapping next to her, anyway.

Shakespeare reached into the crowd, brushing his hand across the outstretched ones of the audience like he was a rock star, and Danielle felt an overwhelming feeling of jealousy. "Next time we need better seats!"

"What, front row?" Rose asked. "Get right up close to your favourite star?"

She nudged Danielle, teasing her, but the red-head just nodded as she strained her neck trying to see him better. "Something like that."

The Doctor, on the other hand, now had his arms crossed in front of his chest. Shakespeare was a legend, an author who defined time and lasted long after others would have been forgotten. But now, as he glanced down at the top of Danielle's head, he couldn't help but feel like he was somewhat overrated. "Just showing off, now," he grumbled to himself.

Rose shot him a knowing look. "Jealous, much?" she teased but he just shot her a confused look in return. "Not happy being in the back seat now there's someone better to see?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied as Danielle stepped toward, as if she was going to push her way through the people in front of her. Of course she wouldn't have, she was nothing if not incredibly polite, but he still scowled.

"Of course not," Rose replied. "Alien or not, you men are all alike."

Before the Doctor could question what exactly she meant by that, William made his way to the centre of the stage, looking over the crowd of adoring fans. He then waved his hand over the crowd to signal them all to settle down.

"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" he exclaimed cheekily and the whole crowd laughed at his crude words. The Doctor and Rose both were taken aback by the man, both expecting something rather grand from what was considered one of Earth's most loved writers. Danielle, on the other hand, laughed along with the crowd, clapping giddily.

"Shouldn't he be a bit more," Rose started. "You know? 'Thou hast bestowed much upon me'?"

The Doctor shrugged. "The great William Shakespeare was, I guess, just a lad from Warwickshire," he reasoned. "Ultimately just wants to be down the pub with his mates."

He glanced down at Danielle, who was still staring at him with wide eyes. "Maybe not as brilliant as we first thought," he declared, but she didn't seem to hear him. He pouted slightly, much to Rose's amusement.

"Or maybe more brilliant than you were hoping for, right?" she teased back.

"I know what you're all saying," Shakespeare called out to his audience, all of their attention focused on him. "Love's Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it?" The crowd let out a cheer of agreement. "It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius," the crowd all nodded, amused by his showmanship, and he took his bow.

The Doctor frowned, straightening and paying a lot more attention as the playwright straightened suddenly from the teasing bow. The movement wasn't natural, and his gaze wasn't on his adoring public, but just straight ahead, almost unseeing.

"When? Tomorrow night," he declared, a contrast to his previous statement that the crowd cheered at, but had the Doctor concerned. It was one thing to build up suspense in the masses, this was a complete change of direction. Even the performers looked baffled.

He raised his hand up, holding it out like he was about to perform a soliloquy, but it was all wrong. The movement was of someone pretending to show, not of a man showing off himself. Why could he never have a nice trip. "The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Love's Labour's Won."

Danielle gasped. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that she would be seeing _the_ William Shakespeare. But to finally have undeniable proof that the missing play actually _existed_? Something scholars still didn't know to this day? She was on cloud nine, and she didn't care who knew it as they slowly filed out of the theatre.

"Love's Labour's Won!" she cried, grabbing onto Rose's hand and bouncing up and down. "I can't believe it! He said it! Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were."

Rose was thoroughly amused by her behaviour. It reminded her of being a young teenager, when the Spice Girls were at the top of their prime. She and her friends would gush about who was who, spending hours gossiping about them, and about the boybands that seemed to take a supporting role. Danielle was completely star stuck.

"Is that your favourite play, then?" she asked the red-head, who shook her head in response.

"It's the missing play," she explained, the words falling from her lips quickly in her excitement. "It's been on lists of plays but no one has ever been able to find it. No one knows what it's about, it was only assumed to be a sequel because of its name. But it's here, it's tomorrow. It's… it's…"

"It's wrong," the Doctor finished lowly. They couldn't stop, caught as they were in the mass of people exiting the theatre, but the two women slowed to fall either side of him. His face was pulled into a thoughtful frown, the same one that Danielle had seen on his face on Satellite 5 and she felt a chill of nervousness because of it.

"It's wrong?" she asked in reply.

"Love's Labour's Won is just a rumour, at best," he explained. "Most people end up agreeing that it was just a misprint of Love's Labour's Lost, and that there never was a lost play."

Rose frowned in her own confusion. "But he just announced it, in there," she pointed out. He nodded again.

"Exactly. But he shouldn't have. It doesn't exist. Or, it didn't exist."

They finally made their way to the outside of the theatre, and were able to pull to the side to allow the Doctor to think over the issue further. Danielle glanced back at the door, surprised at how quickly her excitement had dropped into a faint hint of dread. If the Doctor thought something was wrong, then it was wrong and she found it easier to believe him than hold onto her hopes about seeing the play.

"Maybe the masses are wrong, though?" she offered anyway, even though she didn't believe it herself. "Maybe there was a play, but maybe it's just not very good. It was bound to happen eventually."

He shot her a look. "Two Gentlemen of Verona," he shot at her and she looked visibly affronted.

"It was one of his first plays," she protested. "You've got to give him a little leeway with it!"

He obviously didn't believe her, but his scoff quickly turned back into concern as he thought about the matter at hand. "I don't think it's that. Something's going on."

Rose couldn't help the grin that spread on her face. She didn't know a lot about Shakespeare, but _this_ she knew all about. "Trouble?" she asked, almost hopefully.

The Doctor nodded. "Trouble," he replied in a more serious tone. Then a giant grin grew on his face. "Let's go meet Shakespeare."

 _~0~0~0~_

Danielle could barely breathe. They had just walked straight into the pub like they owned the place, and then up the stairs to where the boarding rooms were. The Doctor had pointed the name of the pub out – _The Elephant_ \- as they'd wandered around, trying to find where the playwright would have been housed, and Danielle had quickly agreed. The reference in Twelfth Night definitely couldn't have been a coincidence with that pub so close to the theatre.

She could feel the butterflies flapping in her stomach. Any moment now she was going to see the man himself, up close and personal. She still wasn't convinced that this plan was going to work, he was a busy and popular man and she could see him sending them all out with a wave of his hand and they would be unable to do anything about it. But for however long they were in the room with him, though, she would be with _William Shakespeare_!

The Doctor was happy to waltz into the largest room on the floor, however, which housed three men around a table, and a maid in the corner that Danielle felt a twinge of sympathy for. She knew how working staff could be treated in these times, and the way she was hunched over made her wonder if she was being treated right.

"Hello!" the Doctor greeted as he stepped into the room, grin as wide as it always would. "Shakespeare! William Shakespeare!"

William looked up from his conversation with his two friends to look at the strange, obviously Northern, tall man. He was wearing strange clothing, but that was no different to the rest of London. His blonde-haired friend was much more in keeping with what he was accustomed to; very stylish in a way that spoke of her riches. The same riches that would 'entitle' her to time with the man of the night. But as beautiful as she was, he really didn't have time for 'fans'.

He held his hand up to his face, pained at the sight of them. "No, no, no, no, no, no. Who let you in?" he demanded. "No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from." He listed them off as if he heard them all the time, and Danielle couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. It was like no one really cared about the man behind the plays, just for the celebrity he was. Much like her time, really.

"Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy, take your lady friend, and shove…"

Able to tell that this was her last chance to see him, Danielle dipped her head from behind the Doctor, where she had been hiding to gather the nerve to meet Shakespeare, and smiled at him as they made eye contact.

Immediately he trailed off, starting at the fiery-haired woman who appeared from nowhere. She was shy, as was obvious from the way she hid behind her two friends, and she wasn't adorned in the finery of her friend. It was rare that he saw red hair this far south, and her young face was also rather pretty as well.

He straightened and she ducked her head, averting her gaze. Oh, he'd seen her, he'd seen her.

He was quick off his seat, ignoring both the Doctor and Rose to hold his hand out to her. "My dearest lady," he greeted. "Come, sit with me."

She looked up at him in the same way all shy women did around him. Her eyes shone with awe at not only his presence, but at the fact that he was paying attention to them and no one else. She took his hand and he shot the tall man a triumphant smirk as he gently walked her to the table.

"You two get sewing on them costumes," he told his friends, his eyes trained on Danielle as he waved them off. "Off you go."

They, begrudgingly, left with the barmaid who had entered to clear their drinks away. Rose and the Doctor sat across from the two, but Rose could tell that Shakespeare didn't care that they were there at all. She felt a spike of protection over her newest friend; he was rather openly leering at her, and she knew that Danielle didn't have much experience with that. She remembered how easily taken in she was when she first started getting interested in boys. She didn't want Danielle taken advantage of.

The Doctor, on the other hand, couldn't understand why Danielle seemed so enamoured with him. Sure, he was Shakespeare, but he was obviously just another self-centred human.

Shakespeare kept a hold of Danielle's hand, running his thumb over the back of it. "Sweet lady," he started in a low purr. "Such deep red hair, you must have Scottish blood running through your veins. Tell me, what do I call such a fierce soul?"

In reply, Danielle just giggled. She couldn't find any words on her tied tongue, let alone her name, and so she just stared back, horrified and star stuck at the same time.

Rose leant forward. "It's Danielle," she told the immortal bard. "I'm Rose and he's the Doctor, if it matters."

"Names always matter," Shakespeare replied. "Words, names, they all have great power in this world. Like I can tell that you are annoyed at me for favouring your friend over you."

Had she been standing her hands would have flown to her hips as she channelled the anger her mother always seemed to have within her. "All I see is some posh bloke thinking he can take advantage of a girl who's obviously a giant fan of yours."

"Rose, calm down," the Doctor told her before turning to Shakespeare. As much as he would have loved to unleash Rose Tyler onto him - and thank her for placing that niggle in his head that made him rather displeased with the man in front of them - they needed to keep the man on side. Something rather troubling was happening, and he was definitely at the centre of it one way or another. "She's rather protective of her friends, but she doesn't mean any harm."

He pulled out the psychic paper from his pocket, a motion that Danielle, even in her distracted state, noticed. He held it out to the writer. "As you can see, we're all friends here, nothing to worry about."

Shakespeare took a look at the small leather wallet and suddenly found himself rather suspicious of the trio. "Interesting, that bit of paper," he declared. "It's blank."

The Doctor frowned, turning the paper towards himself so he could try and see what was supposed to be broadcast on it. "Are you sure?"

"He can see past the psychic paper," Danielle breathed, absolutely amazed as she stared up at him. "Wow. I knew you were a genius, but wow."

Shakespeare smirked slightly, shifting on the spot so he was looking at her again. "I am," he agreed. "But the paper is blank, dear temptress."

Rose turned to the Doctor, who was slowly bringing the paper back to himself, a scowl on his face that he didn't even try to hide. "How can he not see the psychic paper?" she asked.

"Psychic?" William asked, looking over at the pair once again. "Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly?"

"We're just travelling, passing through," the Doctor dismissed. "We heard you announce your new play and we couldn't resist."

"Just travelling through?" William repeated, suspicious of why he would be travelling with two women. He looked over the blonde he was sat next to, in her finery and his eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, I see. You, your lovely wife and your delicious hand maid? Well, I do appreciate the company."

Rose saw it, even if no one else did. She wasn't sure if Danielle even recognised it in herself, especially in her star stuck state, but her shoulders fell and she deflated slightly at being designated the 'hand maid'.

"Oh, he's not my…" Rose started to scoff, only to be interrupted by a large man stepping into the room, announcing his presence with a call of 'excuse me'.

Even Danielle's attention was pulled from the wordsmith to the newcomer. He obviously was a wealthy man as he was adorned with a large gold necklace and a ruff around his neck that everyone associated with the era they were currently sat in.

"Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour," he declared, ignoring the other three in the room and striding towards the table they were sat around. "A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

William shrugged him off, like it wasn't the big deal the man in front of it found it to be. "Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round."

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine," the Master of the Revels declared. "The script, _now_!"

"I can't," William replied, just as forcefully.

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled," he declared.

Danielle turned to him, eyes wide with panic. "But you can't!"

The man paid her no mind, though, walking off towards the exit. "I'm returning to my office for a banning order," he continued. "If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labour's Won will never be played."

His heavy footsteps echoed outside, and a moment later the barmaid walked in with a fresh tray of drinks.

"I heard all that ruckus he was making," she told William as she placed the drinks in front of them. "Thought you might need another tipple."

"Dolly, you are a saint amongst us mere mortals," William replied with a dazzling smile. Dolly shot him her own cheeky smile before leaving.

The Doctor picked up his drink, pretending he was going to drink it but really just held it in his hand for the pretence. Rose and Danielle both raised it up, giving it a quick sniff. Danielle's nose wrinkled up, but Rose was more than happy to take a sip of the booze inside. Just a sip, though, because she wanted to be fully aware just in case something was going to happen. And she knew it was, because nothing was ever as simple as a play being cancelled. Not when the Doctor was around.

"Well, I guess that's that, then," the Doctor declared in his normal, cheerful manner. "You can't stop the Master of the Revels, can you, Billy boy?"

He felt entirely too cheerful at the fact that the play wouldn't be performed. Wasn't this what he travelled through time for? To experience things no one ever thought possible? New and exciting things, things that were secret in history? And something strange was going on with this particular moment in history, as well. He'd seen the way that Shakespeare had straightened on the stage and how his words and actions didn't quite seem his own.

And yet, there was always something quite satisfying about watching someone with an inflated ego get his plans foiled.

Danielle placed her drink down on the table. "He can't just stop your play, though, can he?" she asked William. "You promised all those people!"

William chuckled slightly. "Don't worry, my dear," he told her. "His ego is large, but my audience is larger. He knows the backlash he should receive if he takes it away from the public."

"So, we'll still be able to see it?" Danielle asked hopefully and he nodded.

"I guarantee it," he promised. "Perhaps, if you would permit me, you could come as my guest."

Danielle's mouth dropped open, and both Rose and the Doctor scowled at the man. It was obvious what angle he was trying to play with the naive girl, and it was one Rose wouldn't allow to happen. Not that she didn't think that Danielle didn't deserve the attention, but not _this_ type of attention.

Fortunately, Danielle couldn't give a reply. A scream echoed from outside on the street, a deep male yell of pain followed by a high-pitched scream of terror.

The Doctor shot up off his chair, a grin on his face. "That's more like it," he cried. "Come on!"

Danielle and Rose were quick off their seats, running fast to keep up with his long strides. William, who had recognised the first scream, was also quick to follow them onto the streets below.

Lynley, the Master of the Revels, was stumbling up the street. His hands were around his throat, like he couldn't breathe, and with each step he spewed up water like it was being created in his throat.

"Oh my god," Rose stated lowly. Along with the crowd, she could plainly see something was not right with the man. "What's wrong with him?"

"Stay back," the Doctor told everyone, rushing over to the man and wrapping an arm around him. "I'm a doctor, don't panic. Come on, big man, get it up," he smacked a hand against his back, like he was trying to dislodge something from his throat. "That's it, get it up."

Another smack, and the man went ridged in his arms. With a final gurgle of water, he dropped to the ground with such a heavy weight that the Doctor couldn't keep him up. He quickly dropped to his knees, holding his ear to his chest. There was no heartbeat, and he looked up at his little group of followers.

William looked more than disturbed, which was understandable given how he knew the man. Rose had that look of confusion on her face that suited her racing mind perfectly, and Danielle… Danielle looked absolutely horrified as she realised she'd just witnessed a man die. It was like she had known him personally, and in the light of the lamps around them he could see she had visibly paled.

"He's dead," he declared, amazed. There were gasps of horror from around him as he took another look at the man whose life had just ended. He reached up and gently pulled his jaw down. Another gush of water rushed from his mouth and the Doctor quickly shut it again. This was the strangest death he'd ever see, or at least he'd seen in a long time.

He quickly jumped back off the floor, his eyes scanning the crowd. He first spotted Danielle with her hand resting on Shakespeare's arm - a sure sign that she needed comforting - but he moved past her until his gaze fell on someone of some authority. The barmaid, Dolly.

"Go get the constable," he commanded. "Get someone to move him off the street. It's a tragedy, but so is life, no need to worry anyone, yeah?"

She nodded, but it was her hand maid from the room upstairs who stepped forward. "I'll do it, ma'am."

The Doctor smiled at her. "Good lass." He rushed over to his little group, pushing between Danielle and Shakespeare. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, turning her around and leading her away. "Back upstairs, you lot. Let's not stand around gawking."

Rose and William had to jog to keep up with him. "What was wrong with him, though?" Rose pressed. "That wasn't a man who'd had too much to drink, was it?"

The Doctor shook his head, his face falling into that serious frown of his. "He drowned," he replied lowly.

"Drowned?" Danielle repeated in a whisper. She'd not expected to see someone die. She'd seen so much death already since she'd started travelling with the Doctor. She'd caused so much underneath America on her first trip, that was still her fault. But to see him drop to the floor had shaken her somewhat. "How could he have drowned?"

"Let's just get upstairs, yeah?" he replied, giving her a little squeeze. "Can't have the locals overhearing."

They all entered the room in a sombre fashion, Shakespeare making his way to a chair to sit down, his head heavy in his hand. The Doctor leant against one of the many shelves against the wall, Danielle on one side and Rose on the other.

"I can't believe he just died like that," Danielle whispered sadly. "He was mean, but he didn't deserve that."

Rose smiled kindly at her, reaching in front of the Doctor to rub her arm. "It'll be alright," she promised and Danielle nodded. The excitement, and then horror, of the evening had given way to emotional tiredness. She just wanted to go back to the TARDIS and climb into bed. But, the look on the Doctor's face, that thoughtfulness said that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. And quite rightly too. They were probably the only people who might be able to help if something extraordinary was happening, which it was. How did a man drown in the middle of the street?

Dolly appeared in the doorway, her hard life showing as she didn't even seem fazed by the sight she'd just witnessed. "I got you a room, Doctor," she told the man. "There should be enough room for your handmaid as well, should she need it."

He barely gave her a nod in reply and she was off, unoffended by his lack of manners. "Why does everyone think I'm a maid?" Danielle asked quietly. "Is it the dress? I liked it."

"It's because you have the beauty of royalty, but the shyness of a woman who has been held back all your life," William told her. "It is a shame to see such beauty stunted because of circumstance, but that is the way."

Danielle looked at him with furrowed brows. "I'm not sure whether to be flattered or insulted," she admitted shyly.

"Flattered, of course," Shakespeare replied and she smiled happily. "Unlike your two friends, you hide in the shadows not to be noticed. You, Rose," he looked to the woman, who blinked in surprise at being brought into the conversation. "So incredibly loyal, like a wolf at the lead of it's a pack."

Rose frowned. "A wolf?" she asked. It was an odd choice of words to use to describe someone, made all the more jarring by the echo of a maid in Cardiff's voice.

But Shakespeare had turned his sights to the Doctor, who was still looking rather unnerved by the strange way the man outside had died. "And you, Doctor," he said. "You are barely older than myself, and yet your eyes are so old. I wonder how that could be?"

The Doctor looked at him with a levelled, controlled gaze. "I do a lot of reading."

"A trite reply," William replied before smiling once more. "Yeah, that's what I'd do."

The Doctor obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore. Instead, he clapped his hands together. "I think it's time for bed," he told his two companions.

Rose rolled her eyes, although she had to admit that William's assessment of them all had unnerved her slightly. She had learnt from travelling with the Doctor to trust her gut, and the uneasy feeling wasn't something she couldn't ignore, even as she pretended to. "You think you're the boss, don't ya?"

"I am the boss," he replied indignantly as Rose walked to the door. Danielle didn't stand up, though, and the Doctor hesitated to follow. "Danielle?"

She shot him a smile. "In a minute," she replied. He couldn't exactly drag her after him, so with one last look he left her behind.

"I'm not sure he trusts me," William remarked.

"I think he has a hard time trusting anyone," Danielle replied. "Especially people who decide to try and analyse him."

"Analyse?" he repeated, looking thoroughly amused. "That is quite an intellectual word for a hand maid."

"And you're being quite rude for a man whose trade has him talking to the public," she retorted before smiling again. "But I'll let it go, for now. You've just lost someone."

"Aye, poor Lynley," he replied, their brief moment of joviality gone. "I apologise. When my mind is grieving, I cannot stop the thoughts once they start."

"I know," she said and he looked at her, a little suspicious.

"Do you, now?"

She nodded before placing a hand on his arm. "I am sorry about your friend," she said honestly, giving him a little squeeze of comfort. "Try and get some sleep, if you can."

He barked a laugh. "I have a play to complete," he reminded her. "But I'll get my answer tomorrow, Danielle." At her confused look, he shot her a charming grin. "Be my guest of honour."

Her cheeks heated up as she stood. "We'll see," she replied vaguely. "Goodnight, William."

She was still smiling when she walked into the room that had been provided for them. It wasn't particularly luxurious. There was a double bed, a cabinet and a couple of chairs…

Her smile faltered slightly again as she spotted the small pile of material and padding that she guessed was the bed for the 'hand maid'. "Oh, that's nice of them," she murmured to herself. Maybe next time she should follow Rose's lead and wear something a bit fancier.

But she'd really liked this dress.

Rose, who was looking through the cabinet, looked over at the door at her voice. She followed her gaze to the 'bed', the turned back to her. "Oh, don't worry, that's for 'im," she replied, nodding at the Doctor. "Us girls are going to have the bed."

The Doctor didn't look too pleased. "That seems a bit unfair."

"Yeah, well, deal with it," Rose replied cheekily. He shot her a look in reply that said that he really wasn't that annoyed as Danielle walked over to the other chair.

"It's not like you sleep, anyway," she reminded him as she sat down. "What are you going to do all night while we sleep? S'not like you can just jump in the TARDIS and go for a quick jaunt, is it?"

He groaned, head falling back. "Oh, I didn't even think of that!" he exclaimed and the two women giggled at his childish behaviour.

"Maybe you will have to use the bed after all," Danielle said. "It might be a good way to make the time go faster."

She giggled at the withering look he sent her. He was just too cute sometimes.

"So," Rose started as she joined them, taking a seat on Danielle's chair arm. "What did you and Mr Shakespeare talk about?"

Danielle looked away, her heart speeding up slightly in her chest. "Oh, you know, this and that," she dismissed. She didn't want the Doctor to know that she'd stayed behind to give the playwright a little bit of a telling off for analysing the Time Lord. "I just wanted to offer my condolences over the man," she turned slightly in her seat. "Did you really mean it? He drowned?"

The Doctor nodded. "His throat was full of water," he replied. "He was choking on it. You saw him spitting it up."

"How, though?" Rose pressed. "We're on land. Even if he did drown, surely he would have had to be _in_ the water?"

"The thing is," the Doctor continued, the serious look back on his face. Something was obviously bugging him more than he'd said up to that point. "I don't think that's what killed him. I think it was something else."

Danielle leant a bit closer. "Like what?" she asked.

He shrugged, relaxing again into the chair. The thoughtful frown didn't disappear, though. "I don't know," he replied. "It's a strange feeling for me, I'm not sure I like it. But, I couldn't say that at the time. If we scare the locals there is no way we'll find out the answer."

"Plus, we're in 1599," Danielle pointed out. "We don't need a witch hunt. Last thing we want is some innocent woman being punished for whatever this is."

"Witch hunt?" Rose scoffed. "People didn't actually do that, did they?"

Danielle nodded. "It was more prevalent in the US, granted, but yeah. Women being dunked, burnt, everything. Between that and childbirth, this period really isn't a great time for us."

"Jeez," Rose replied. "But it's not witchcraft, is it?" The two women looked to the alien, who didn't reply. "I mean, that's not real, is it?" Again, he didn't reply. "Doctor?"

"Of course not," he said. "But, whatever it is, it's trying to look like it. Perhaps they're hiding in the mythos of the century? We'll need to hang around and see the play. _The play's the thing._ "

Danielle's face lit up. "Hamlet!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I love Hamlet."

Rose rolled her eyes as the two began rapidly gushing about yet another play. Maybe she wouldn't be replaced, after all. Maybe Danielle could soak up all this geekiness and she and the Doctor could still continue to have the friendship they'd always had. "I'm going to bed," she told them both. "If you keep me up all night nattering, I'm kicking you out."

Danielle waved at her, obviously telling her to be quiet. Rose would have been outraged if it didn't seem so out of character for her. Then again, she seemed a lot more comfortable now she was away from Shakespeare. "We won't," she promised.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _So, a bit of a change, eh? I hope it works alright. I wanted Danielle to have a bit of an effect on the story, and this seemed to fit XD_

 _Reviews -_

 _ **blank435** \- Thanks sweetie! I'm glad you ship them, that's the aim XD_

 _ **thehelpinghand** \- Thanks, sweetie! I'm glad you think so! Feel free to read my other fics based on Danni if you haven't already, after all this is the AU of the others :)_

 _ **Authora97** \- Oh, River would have totally written that letter, wouldn't she? Jack and River are Danni's parents in this one, but they are **not** Danielle's. Danielle's mum is a woman called Melanie Song who we will see more of after the next episode._

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- Yeah, she does it so well, doesn't she? Thanks sweetie, not as much as you though :P xxx_

 _ **Jojo** \- Hehe no, I can't wait to write Danielle's death either. I'm having fun keeping it close to my chest XD_

 _ **Counting** **Sinful** **Stars** \- Yeah, she should have! Her dad did say that, yes, but not Jack. Danielle's dad isn't Jack, in the same way that not all of Clara's scattered counterparts parents could possibly be hers._

 _ **bored411** \- Thanks sweetie! She'll get there, it might just take her a little time XD_

 _ **StarGazer** \- Thanks sweetie! Of course he'll fall in love with Danielle. Definitely a Doctor/OC story and I'm very proud of that fact :D_

 _ **Seconds** **and** **Stars** \- Of course! It's almost as fun as them actually kissing :P_


	11. The Shakespeare Code Part 2

The Doctor had many theories as to what had happened to poor Lynley. Psychic forces were out of the question; no human would be able to produce that amount of energy. Perhaps someone had forced the water into his lungs? But that also made no sense. Not only had there not been enough time for that to happen, surely there would have been more of a ruckus than there was. Then there was the fact that while the human lungs had a great capacity, he spat up so much that they would have had to be continuously filling. When he'd died some had been in his mouth and throat. It was like it was replenishing.

Danielle had finally given up and gone to sleep, curled up next to Rose on the bed. He really enjoyed talking to her. He was surprised by her knowledge on Shakespeare, but it was nice to be able to talk to someone about a subject who was almost as knowledgeable as he was. And she was so eager to learn more. It was unfair to claim that Rose was different and didn't want to learn, but Danielle had a different energy about her. She craved it even if she didn't understand what she was hearing.

If only he could work out what was going on. It obviously wasn't magic, but whatever was doing this was trying to make it seem like it was. Perhaps to blend into the time period. Whatever they were, they weren't from Earth. This was something alien and he would work out what it was.

Danielle and Rose were both startled awake by another scream, this time female, that cried out from somewhere in the pub. Danielle shot up just in time to see the Doctor rush past, his features hard. Her heart fluttered slightly at the sight of him barrelling towards danger, trying to help. She did rather like it.

She turned to Rose, half to see if she knew what was going on and half to see what they should do next. Rose was under the covers that Danielle was lying on, with only her underdress on as the beautiful dress she'd chosen had been rather stiff.

While the white cotton dress would have been fine for their own time, even in her half-asleep state Rose knew she could go running around in it. Danielle, on the other hand, was still fully dressed so she nodded her head towards the door. "Go, I'll catch up," she quickly instructed.

With a nod, Danielle jumped off the bed and dashed out of the room. She caught a flash of black leather across the long landing and quickly followed the Doctor into William's room.

The slam of the door opening seemed to wake Shakespeare up from whatever had knocked him out, rather than the scream of the landlady now lying on the floor. The Doctor quickly fell to the ground next to her as Danielle appeared in the doorway, gasping in horror at the sight.

"What? What was that?" William stuttered, disorientated. Danielle frowned as she caught the sound of fluttering near the open window, and dashed over to look inside.

"I don't believe it," the Doctor breathed after checking Dolly over. "She died of fright."

Danielle stood on her tiptoes, leaning on the window sill to look outside. Her eyes widened as she saw a silhouette against the glow of the moon above. Broomstick, cloak, even the hint of a cackle.

"I'm not surprised," she breathed, the shock of the sight numbing her slightly to what had just happened.

The Doctor frowned and rushed to her side, looking out of the window next to her. However all he saw was the moon, and the dark streets, and nothing more. "Why? What did you see?"

Danielle shook her head. "You're not going to believe me," she replied. "I-I don't believe me, and I saw it."

The Doctor looked down at her. Even in the dim candle light he could see that she had paled slightly. Whatever she had seen must have really stunned her. He nudged her gently and, when she looked up at him, shot her a reassuring smile. "Of course I will," he promised. "What was it?"

"It was a witch," she said. "A proper witch. Like an actual witch. With- With a cloak, and a broom," she looked back out of the window, "hanging in the sky like a Halloween decoration."

Rose appeared in the doorway, her dress barely fastened but on enough to be considered decent. She caught sight of the woman on the floor and her face dropped in horror. "Oh my god," she said lowly. "Is she…"

"Yeah," the Doctor replied before she could finish the sentence. She caught sight of the pair, the Doctor solemn and serious and Danielle almost shaking in her fright. There was nothing she could do for the poor woman on the floor, so she respectfully stepped around her and over to her friend. She wrapped an arm around Danielle's shoulder and moved her away from the window.

"It's okay," she reassured her gently. "You're okay."

Danielle shook her head. "No, no-no I'm not okay," she stuttered out as Rose sat her down in one of the empty chairs at Shakespeare's desk. "I-I don't understand. Has something happened to me? Am I next?"

"Of course you're not," Rose reassured before wondering if maybe she had a point. She didn't know what was going on in Lynley's or Dolly's head before they'd died. She looked up at the Doctor, suddenly a little panicky herself. "She's not, is she?" she asked.

The Doctor popped out his sonic screwdriver, giving Danielle a once over. It wasn't something he did very often, so Rose knew it was serious. He lowered his arm. "No, she's fine," he promised. "She's just had a fright."

He turned to Shakespeare. "Go get someone to move Dolly," he instructed. "We can't leave her on the floor."

 _~0~0~0~_

Dolly was taken away but Danielle didn't relax, she couldn't. Something strange was going on, the Doctor himself had said it was mimicking magic. Seeing a witch out of the window, though, just made it all seem much more frightening.

"Do you think Dolly saw it too?" she asked quietly as day broke outside.

"There is a chance," the Doctor admitted as he stood by the window, arms crossed. He knew it was a fruitless effort, but he wanted to see if the 'witch' came back. "In such a superstitious time, a witch might scare someone to death."

"I must have been something incredibly frightening," Shakespeare added. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place when we all ran like rats. She had such enormous spirit."

"But she was by the door," Rose reasoned. "Would that mean the witch was in the room with you?" She turned her attention from her friend, meeting William's surprised gaze.

"It does seem to be revolving around you," the Doctor agreed. "Lynley drowned, but on dry land and only after talking to you."

"You're accusing me?" William asked in reply, defensive.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, but then Danielle, who has never been here before, saw a witch as well. After meeting you. What's the last thing you remember?"

Shakespeare rocked back in his chair. "I was writing," he replied simply. "The last scene was almost finished, then I woke up to Dolly's scream. I must have fallen asleep. Sometimes my mind continues to think, but my body can no longer hold out."

Danielle looked up at the Doctor. "Do you think that the witch was in here?" she asked, and he nodded, confirming Rose's guess as well. "Why, though? What has Mr Shakespeare got to do with witches?"

"Didn't you write about witches?" Rose asked the play write. She remembered that. It was in Macbeth, she'd had to do that for her English GCSE.

Danielle shook her head before Shakespeare even had a chance to answer. "No, not yet," she murmured.

"But that is an idea," Shakespeare mused, tapping his bearded chin.

"They're not witches," the Doctor stated firmly. "They're just trying very hard to make everyone think like they are. But _why_? Why go through all this trouble just to kill a landlady and a master of the revels?"

"But in a time where people believe in witches it's quite a good cover," Rose reasoned. "No one's going to suspect aliens when there's magic."

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare commented, still wondering about how to work witches into a play. There were very intriguing, and quite popular at the moment.

"Who?" Rose asked.

"He designed the Globe," Danielle replied. "The architect."

"There's a chance he saw them too," the Doctor reasoned, pushing off from the windowsill. "Lets go to the Globe. Maybe it will have some proper answers.

 _~0~0~0~_

The Globe during the day was nothing like it was during the evening. Without the crowds of people within it, it was huge, and bright and almost colourful. It had fresh sawdust on the floor, the stage was bare. She wasn't sure how many people got to see it like this apart from the actors and workers, but Danielle felt rather special to see it in the day. It was like seeing school at night.

"This is amazing," she whispered, spinning around to take in every little detail she could. "I wish I had a camera."

"No one would believe you if you showed them," Rose replied cheekily.

"Who said anything about showing anyone?" Danielle retorted. "This is for _me_."

The Doctor shook his head in amusement as he looked around the giant room. "It's definitely impressive," he added before turning to William. "But fourteen sides is a bit odd for a building. Why fourteen?"

Shakespeare, with the ending to his play in hand, shrugged his shoulders. "It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well."

Danielle walked over to the stage, leaning against it to look out. "Does it matter?" she asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied. "There's something niggling me about the number. Something hidden away in my brain somewhere," he shot her a grin. "I do have a lot to work through."

She shot him a grin of her own. "Yes, we know, you're super smart," she retorted.

"There's fourteen days in a fortnight?" Rose shot out as an idea and the Doctor nodded, his thoughtful frown falling back.

"It's the atomic number of silicon," Danielle suggested before frowning. "I'm not sure if that actually means anything, though."

"No, but good guess," he replied. "It's something simpler, though. Something to do with this building, this period in history."

"Oh!" Rose exclaimed. "Fourteen lines in a sonnet!"

Danielle shared her smile. "Oh, that _is_ a good one!"

The Doctor agreed. "Words and shapes following the same design. There's something more, though. Something I'm missing."

"Is it space-y?" Danielle asked, much to Shakespeare's confusion. "I mean, it sounds alien to me. Is there like… I dunno, a fourteen-planet solar system or something?"

"Alien?" Shakespeare asked. "You mean, from another land, like you are?"

Danielle looked up at him. "I mean farther than that," she replied. He smiled at her, holding his hand out and helped her on the stage.

"And how far are you from?" he asked.

"Very far," the Doctor answered for her, with a bit of a bite. Rose pressed her lips together to try and not smile at the annoyance on his face and the flush on Danielle's. "There's something in that fourteen. Don't suppose we could talk to the architect?"

"You won't get an answer," William replied. "A month after finishing this place, lost his mind. Starting raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

Danielle looked down at the Doctor. "More witches," she commented and he nodded.

"Where is he now?"

"Bedlam," William replied sombrely.

Danielle's eyes widened. "Bedlam?" she almost shrieked. "That's not going to happen to me, is it?"

"Of course not," the Doctor replied shortly. Rose frowned.

"What's Bedlam?"

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse," Shakespeare explained.

"It's not a madhouse, it's a torture site. A prison. They take the weak and the ill and beat them just for existing," she looked at the Doctor, eyes hard. "I'm not going there," she told him firmly, with no room for arguments.

He didn't particularly fancy it either. If his mind really had been broken by the witches, there probably wasn't much he could get from the man anyway. So, he needed the next best thing.

He walked over, jogging up the stairs and to Shakespeare. "I need to poke your mind for a moment," he told the play write. "This all involves you somehow, I just want to take a look."

"Ask away, Doctor," he replied, waving his arms out to either side. "I have nothing to hide."

"It doesn't quite work like that," the Doctor said. He reached out, placing a hand on each temple. "Just relax for a moment, I just want to see last night."

Danielle frowned. "You can just look into his head? Just like that?"

"Just like that," he confirmed with a little bit of a brag. "Much more impressive than writing plays, I should think."

"You sound jealous, Doctor," Shakespeare retorted. "Don't be, you are very impressive."

Danielle almost squealed in delight at the undeniable flirt in William's tone. "Oh, I knew it, I knew it," she giggled.

"You should know that I'm not that easy," the Doctor murmured. "Just relax, this won't hurt."

The Doctor closed his eyes and Shakespeare gasped in surprise. "It's like you are in my memories," he declared in amazement. "Oh, you are spectacular, aren't you Doctor?"

"I try. Tell me about last night. Show me what you remember."

"There is nothing to tell," Shakespeare warned him. "We talked, poor Lynley died. You adjourned for the night, and I set about finishing my play." He frowned to himself. "I was writing, then I was awoken by poor Dolly."

"Go further back. Remember when you told the whole theatre about your new play. What was that like?"

"I- I can't say I remember it at all," William commented. "It was as if it was through water… It wasn't the first time I'd felt like that. It was just after I had the idea for the play."

"And when did it all begin? Where did it begin? The first time you felt like that, where was it?"

"All Hallows Street."

" _Too many words."_

Rose screamed and turned around, eyes wide at the sight of the witch that had now appeared behind her. Danielle reached out and grabbed the Doctor, clinging to him tightly.

"It's the witch!" she exclaimed. "She's real… she's really real."

"Oh, she's real all right," the Doctor confirmed. "But she's not a witch. Rose, William, behind me."

The blonde and the writer didn't need telling twice and all three stood behind the Doctor. "I know you," he told the witch. "I didn't think you were still hanging around."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us," she cackled. "Who will die first, hmm? Perhaps you little fiery-haired lady friend?"

The Doctor shook his head, stepping forward and directly in front of Danielle. He'd felt her grip tighten on his arm and he knew it was because she was scared. "No one will die here. What is your plan?"

"Our plan will consume you all," the witch told him triumphantly. She held up her finger. "Just one touch of the heart…"

"You see, I am very clever," the Doctor continued as they all took a step back. "And I know a lot of things about a lot of people. There are fourteen walls and that is deliberate, isn't it?" The witch didn't seem to care about his words, stepping closer. "The words, the numbers, it all makes sense. You're from the fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! You're a Carrionite!"

With a scream and a bright light, the witch faded from in front of them, leaving them alone in the Globe once again.

"What was that?" Danielle asked quietly. "What did you do?"

"I named her. The power of name," the Doctor replied, quickly pulling out his screwdriver. He scanned the area but there was nothing of any use to him. He pocketed it. "It's old science. Instead of using numbers, Carrionites use words."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked and the Doctor glanced at him, his face serious.

"The end of the world," he replied grimly. "Come on, we better get a move on in case they decide to make a return visit."

He nudged Rose forward, and William was more than happy to lead the way. The Doctor, though, put a hand on Danielle's arm as she made to move and stopped her in her tracks. "Are you okay?" he asked lowly. She had been threatened, after all.

Danielle nodded. "Honestly? It's a relief to know I wasn't seeing things," she told him before smiling. "A little death threat isn't enough to get rid of me."

He smiled back. "Good. That's good," he replied and they stared at each other for a moment, both grinning like idiots. Then his smile fell away slightly and he grabbed her hand. "Right, let's go."

 _~0~0~0~_

William needed to freshen up – he had a play that night, after all. The Doctor agreed that they should go about the day as if they hadn't been confronted by alien witches using magic words to try and take over the world, so they left him to getting ready. Only for a short while, though, and soon they were back in his room as he finished cleaning himself up.

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe," the Doctor told them all. Rose and Danielle sat at the writer's desk while Shakespeare dried his face. "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare retorted.

"And they want him?" Rose asked, nodding towards the play write. The Doctor could see how she had come to that conclusion. Everyone that had died or had been affected was connected to him in some fashion.

"No, I think they just found a mind that could do what they want," he replied. Shakespeare frowned.

"Me?"

Danielle nodded. "That makes sense," she commented. "A race that uses words as power finding the greatest wordsmith."

Shakespeare couldn't help but smirk. "The greatest wordsmith?" he repeated and she flushed slightly.

"You know what I mean," she mumbled, embarrassed.

"They want to take the planet," the Doctor continued like he wasn't bothered at all by the little exchange. "But how? What does scaring people to death achieve?"

"Well, it's the play, isn't it?" Danielle replied and he frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it. Poor Mr Streete was driven insane after building the Globe to their specification. Lynley was drowned because he wanted to stop the play, and I would think that Dolly would have interrupted him writing," she reasoned. He was watching her closely and she shifted on the spot. "Well, that's just what I think, anyway."

He stared for a moment before his face broke out into a grin. "That's fantastic," he cried and she giggled, smiling slightly.

"You think so?" she asked and he nodded.

"I do," he replied, turning to Shakespeare. "What happens at the end?"

He shrugged. "The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual," he rattled off before pausing with a frown. "Except those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them."

"So they gave him the words somehow?" Rose asked. "What for?"

"With the right words, projected into the Globe, the whole theatre could become an energy converter. It's not a play, it's a weapon!" He pointed at Shakespeare. "Do you have a map?"

He didn't, but he knew the pub downstairs would have one. As he rushed downstairs and back up again, the city was already making their way to the Globe for the debut of the new play. The Doctor watched them out of the window, acutely aware of how time was running out.

He laid the map out on Shakespeare's desk, immediately locating the street on it. "All Hallows Street," he stated, pointing it out. "It's not too far from the Globe. Shakespeare," he looked up and caught the writer's eye. "You head to the theatre. Don't stop the play, make them think it's going exactly how it should until the last moment. Until that last scene, got that?"

Shakespeare nodded. "I'll do it," he promised. The Doctor turned to Rose.

"Rose, I'm trusting you to keep him safe," he told her, keeping the command to stop him mucking things up unsaid. Rose knew, though and nodded her own agreement. "Danielle, you're with me."

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Tracking the Carrionites down. Hopefully we can stop them before the words become a weapon."

"All these years I've been the cleverest man around," Shakespeare commented. "Next to you, I know nothing."

Danielle grinned with him. "Isn't it marvellous?" she replied and he nodded.

"Right, come on," the Doctor said as he didn't want to admit that their words felt rather wonderful. They quickly dove out onto the street, the Doctor leading the way until they reached the bridge where they would separate.

"Don't stop the play unless you have to before the end," the Doctor warned them both again. "If they notice you're stopping them, they'll attack. You're not useful to them anymore."

Shakespeare nodded and Danielle smiled at them both. "Be careful," she warned.

"I should say the same to you," Shakespeare replied, picking up her hand and placing a kiss on the back. She giggled again, flushing deep red. "You still have not given me an answer about being my guest."

"You can flirt later," the Doctor grumbled, grabbing Danielle's other hand. "We'll meet you at the theatre."

He practically pulled her down the bridge towards All Hallows Street, Danielle frowning as he abruptly tore her away from the other two. She knew that they were in a rush, after all something rather big and bad was going down, but she still didn't think that was a cause for being so rude.

"What was that about?" she asked before realising what it was. William had been putting all of his attention on her. Maybe the Doctor wanted the writer more focused on him. "Are… are you jealous? Because I didn't mean to…"

"What? Jealous of him?" the Doctor scoffed as the moved through a little alleyway between two houses. "Of course not. I'm fantastic on a universal scale. He's just a brilliant writer. There's nothing for me to be jealous of."

Danielle flushed slightly. "No… I meant…" she stuttered. She didn't know how to correct him without sounding all big headed and making him embarrassed. "Never mind. Where do we go?"

They both turned around on the spot, looking around at all of the houses on the hay-covered street. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There were people walking around, going about their daily business. No one seemed scared, or worried, or even noticed the two people looking rather lost.

Then a wooden door creaked open without anyone opening it, causing Danielle to jump slightly in surprise. They both turned to look at it.

"I'm guessing in there?" she asked, looking up at him. He nodded.

"Do you want to wait out here?" he asked. He should have sent her with Rose and William, really. She would have been safer.

She shook her head. "If there's witches about, I want to be by your side." His brows furrowed and she rolled her eyes. "I'm not an idiot," she retorted. "Safest place is with you. Come on."

She used the hand he was still holding to pull him towards the open door. He couldn't help but smile at her determination despite the danger they were about to walk into. It was one of the reason he loved humans; so much spirit.

Inside stood a woman with blonde hair and long, black, flowing clothes. Danielle frowned. "Hang on, you're the maid," she commented. "I saw you back at the pub. You don't look anything like the witch we saw."

"It was necessary for me to take a different, youthful form," the woman replied. "Alas, it shall not be for much longer."

"I'm guessing you're expecting your spell to go off without a hitch?" Danielle asked. "That's a shame. We're going to stop you, _Carrionite_."

The woman gasped, hand on her chest as she pretended to feel pain, before chuckling to herself. Danielle looked up at the Doctor. "Did I do it wrong?"

"I'm guessing the power of a name only works when no one should know it," the Doctor reasoned, looking over at the witch for confirmation. "Now it's out in the open it loses all power."

"The power of a name works only once," the Carrionite agreed. "Observe."

She took a few quick steps towards them both, finger out and pointing at the two. Danielle took a step back into the Doctor, surprised at the swooping motion. "A heart with a faith strong and unyielding, I name this woman _Danielle Fielding._ "

With a gasp and roll of her eyes, Danielle fell into the Doctor's arms, unconscious. He quickly laid her to the ground, being able to tell almost instantly that she was okay. He looked up at the witch, whose face was pulled into a thoughtful frown.

"Curious. The name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time," she commented and he shook his head.

"It was because it was a rubbish spell," he told her. "You only got her name half right." He jumped up to his feet with a smile that hid the anger at her attacking his friend. "Go on, give me a go. Maybe you'll get it right."

She looked him over, trying to read him. "Fascinating. There is no name," she replied. "Why would a man hide his title in such despair?"

"I have a lot to despair over. More than you could ever know," the Doctor replied grimly. "What I don't understand is; you all disappeared. The Carrionites vanished at the beginning of time, and yet here you are. How?"

"The Eternals banished us into the deep darkness," she explained. "But we found our escape through words. New words that glittered, from a mind like no other."

"Ah, that will be our boy Shakespeare," the Doctor said.

"His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance," she explained.

"How many of you?"

"Just the three," she replied, like it was an annoyance. "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic."

"I will stop you," he warned her. "This planet is not for the taking."

"I should think not," she purred in reply, slowly closing the gap between them. "Men are nothing compared to Carrionites."

She reached up and he ducked his head, expecting her to go for his cheek as if to cup it. He didn't want her to touch him, after all, considering what they had planned for the Earth. However, she went for his hair and pulled out a few of the short strands.

"Ow!" he exclaimed as she dashed back towards the windows. They opened and she flew out backwards to hang in the air. "Oi, you can't do that!" he protested. "That's not fair."

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets," she told him, pulling out a small wooden doll from inside her robes.

Danielle woke up to see the Doctor stood at the window, staring out at the alien who she could barely see. She didn't move off the floor as she slowly came back to conciousness, knowing enough to keep herself considered not a threat until necessary.

"That's a DNA replication module," the Doctor told the Carrionite. "Simple, but effective. Give me it."

"I think not, Doctor," the Carrionite replied before he dropped to the floor with a cry of pain. Danielle quickly shot up as the witch flew away, cackling.

"Doctor, Doctor!" she cried, stumbling to his side. Her hands hovered in front of her, over his body. "Oh, what do I do, what do I do?" she whimpered to herself. She reached out, stroking her hand over his hair gently. "Doctor, you didn't tell me what to do," she continued. "You can't just.. You can't just die, alright? You can't just _leave_ me."

She sniffed, tears in her eyes as she looked at him, lying dead on the floor where she couldn't do a thing. "Please, you can't," she whispered.

The Doctor had whacked his head pretty hard on the way down, but these were the words he came back into consciousness to. Danielle crying lightly as she stroked his hair, like she was so upset that he was dead. He never would have expected it.

He opened his eyes and she screamed, jumping up and away from him. "What the hell?" she exclaimed, grabbing the first thing she could see to defend herself, which happened to be a large leather bound book. It was huge and she held it in front of her like a weapon.

He sat up, groaning at the strain of only having one heart pumping. "It's okay," he quickly reassured her. "I have two hearts, she only put one out of action because she thought I was human."

She shook her head, taking a step closer as if she was going to whack him on the head. "Not buying it," she told him. "I- You never told me that you had two hearts. People just don't come back from the dead. What if you're here to eat my brain or something?"

He looked at her, trying to work out if she was serious or not. She seemed to be, though, so he sighed. "Alright, fine, do you want to check?" he asked. "We don't really have time for me to convince you otherwise."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, taking a step closer as she decided whether or not to take him up on his offer. One on hand, he was an alien and multiple organs probably wasn't the strangest thing about him. And zombies didn't tend to sit there and talk to you about how they weren't zombies.

On the other hand, he might be under a spell to convince her that he was safe. That also wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen to her since meeting him. She tightened her grip on the book. "I'm not putting this down," she warned him. "If you're a zombie, I'm knocking your lights out, got it?"

He nodded before holding his hands above his head. "Go on, then. We don't have all night."

She continued to frown, but reached out to push her hand against his chest. She had to press firmly to feel through his jumper, but there was a distinct thudding underneath that suggested there was a heart beating there. She removed her hand and lowered the book slightly. "Alright. You're not dead," she admitted.

"You could sound happier about that," he retorted. He tried to stand up but groaned, falling back down to his knees. "I can't function with just one heart. Time Lords are built to be using two." He lifted his hand, balling it into a fist and slammed himself on the chest.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to restart it," he replied like she should have known better. He whacked himself again as she looked down at the book in her hand. It was rather large, and rather heavy…

"Watch out," she declared before taking it in both hands, swinging it like it was a baseball bat. She smacked him in the chest and he went flying backwards.

"What was that…" he started, outraged and offended by the attack before he felt his heart kicking back into gear. His face lit up and he shifted. "Do it again, on my back," he instructed and with a yell she brought it down on him.

He laughed, standing up as his hearts beat together happily. "Oh, that's brilliant. You clever human…"

She swung again, hitting him in the arm and he yelled, grabbing it in defence. "That's enough! It's working now."

"I know!" she exclaimed. " _That_ was for making me think you were dead." She dropped the book. "What do we do now?"

"We need to stop the play," he told her. "I had hoped that I could stop it from here, but there's nothing useful. When whatever Will wrote at the end is spoken out loud then the Earth is going to get flooded with Carrionites looking for a new planet it destroy for themselves."

"Well, that should be easy enough, right?" she replied. "Even if Rose and Mr Shakespeare aren't doing that now, all you need to do is set fire to the Globe or something and everyone will have to be evacuated."

"It's not enough," he replied, eyes looking around the room. "The right words, in the right building, with the right frequency will probably work just as well. The maths behind it is sound, it's the superstition that makes the Globe and the play to place to do it."

"But the right word in the right place can affect a generation," Danielle replied. "Maybe there really is power in those words they put in his head?"

"It's all just sound," he dismissed. "Maybe we could mimic it." His eyes darted around and she watched his mind work. It was rather fascinating to see.

"What do you mean, mimic it?"

"The words don't matter. She got your name wrong but you still were knocked unconscious. There was rhythm in the little poem she said, and rhythm means energy. That's how the Globe will work as a converter. It'll take the vibrations from the spoken words that will be magnified and broadcast to whatever 'darkness' they're hiding in. If we can find the rhythm that will open it up…"

"Maybe we can find the one that will close them back in," Danielle finished. "How do we do that, though?"

"We need to get back to the TARDIS," he told her. "Call Rose, tell her to stall. We need more time, stopping the play won't be enough."

Danielle nodded, reaching into her dress pocket and pulling out her phone. The Doctor had not only provided her with a magic mobile phone that would call everywhere and every when - apparently Rose had a similar one - but he also had a machine that provided dresses with _pockets_. What a time to be alive.

They both ran through the streets and Danielle called her, keeping just behind him so she wasn't too out of breath to talk.

" _Stall? What do you think I am doing?"_ Rose asked.

"Stopping it," Danielle replied in a pant. "Don't stop it, stall it. You know, jump out so they have to keep stopping and starting. We just need more time."

" _Alright, but there's not much left of it I don't think. It's been going on forever._ "

"I know. Do your best," she replied before hanging up. "She's going to do it."

"She will. Rose is brilliant," he replied. "Come on, we don't have time to talk."

 _~0~0~0~_

Rose slipped her phone back into the top of her dress where she had been keeping it, turning to William. "They need us to stall the play more," she explained.

"What was that oject?" he asked.

"Oh it's…" she trailed off, waving her hand in the air as she tried to find a way to explain a mobile phone to someone who didn't even have electricity. "It's not important," she decided on. "How can we stall?"

They were backstage at the Globe, and Rose had to admit it was pretty awesome. Danielle definitely would be jealous of all the props and actors that kept walking past. They'd even been able to hear the play being performed, which she would have appreciated more if they weren't trying to stop witches taking over the whole planet.

She looked at the doors that led onto the stage and grabbed her skirt, hitching it up. "Well, there's one way," she murmured to herself, Shakespeare frowning in confusion until she strode towards the door.

"Wait!" he cried as she threw the doors open. The people on stage turned to look at the intruder, as the crowd fell silent and stared up at her. Suddenly she felt rather exposed.

"Uhh…" she started, taking a step onto the stage. "This play must be stopped at once."

The crowd immediately started to boo and jeer. She narrowed her eyes; ungrateful bastards. "Look, something bad is about to happen, right? We have to stop the play!"

She knew none of them were going to believe her. Until the Doctor had exploded into her life she wouldn't have believed herself either. She wasn't trying to convince them, though, she just wanted to create enough of a scene that the play had to be halted for a little while.

She took another step closer to the front of the stage. "Look, please, you have to listen to me!" she shouted over the noise. "There's witches!"

People started laughing, just as she had expected, and she was grabbed by the arms by two of the actors onstage. "Alright, let's get you out of here," one of them said as they marched her to the door. William was waiting on the other side and looked alarmed to see her being almost dragged off.

He stepped forward and smiled at the two actors. "I'll take her from here," he told them. They both shared a look, like they knew _exactly_ how he was going to take care of her, but passed the crazy woman off to him anyway before heading back onto the stage.

"That didn't work, it didn't stop the play," he said to her. She straightened out her dress.

"We're not trying to stop it, we're trying to stall it, remember?" she retorted as someone onstage promised that the show would resume from the beginning of the scene. "Alright, it's your turn."

He nodded, ready. It was getting near the end of the play and there was no sign of the Doctor or his Danielle anywhere. If this what was needed of him to slow the witches, then he was happy to charge out there and try and stop the play the best he could.

 _~0~0~0~_

Device in hand, the Doctor and Danielle emerged back onto the streets of London to find chaos in the skies above. There was an ominous crowd above the Globe, with swirling winds and bright light coming from inside. People were screaming and running away from it, but the Doctor nodded with his head and they both ran straight towards the danger.

They burst into the back of the theatre to find Rose trying to rouse an unconscious Shakespeare. "What happened to him?" the Doctor asked.

"Collapsed on the stage, didn't he?" she retorted as the play write started to come around. "Not sure what 'appened. He was trying to make a racket and he dropped."

"Are you alright?" Danielle asked as he blinked away his own confusion. In the theatre people were still screaming, with gleeful cackling heard underneath.

"I think so," he replied and the Doctor nodded, shifting the large thing he had strapped to his back.

"Good. Come on," he instructed before rushing into the theatre. Danielle and Rose helped Shakespeare up and they followed.

Danielle's eyes widened at the sight they came into. The wind blew even stronger in the theatre, people cowering away from the woman and her cackling sisters as they stood on the balcony above them.

The woman they had encountered held up a glass ball. "They come. _They come!"_

From the ball a swirl of purple smoke and black figures appeared, swooping around the large open area like little ghosts before all swirling into a smoky vortex in the middle of the room.

The Doctor nodded. "Right, this is it," he said, pulling the device off his back. Rose nudged Danielle.

"What the hell is that?" she asked and Danielle shrugged. The device looked a little like a proton pack from the Ghostbuster movies. It had a small box that sat on his shoulder and a long, thick wire that ran from it to the small metal thing he held in his hand that had a trigger.

"He said it was going to replicate the sound needed to stop the Carrionites," she replied. "He did say its name but it was long and I can't remember it."

He pulled the trigger and a long, loud screeching came from the end of the device he was holding. The crowd cried out, people holding their hands over their ears and the people on stage did the same. Danielle moved over to his side, protecting herself from the noise that she could only describe as microphone feedback.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find the right setting," he told her as the witches screamed and he fiddled with a dial. "Just give me a minute…"

"I don't know if you have a minute!" Rose shouted just as the Doctor managed to hit the settings he was looking for.

From the speaker that he was holding came a different noise, much more like a series of beats rather than just once constant noise. There was an immediate shift in the air. The witches above them seemed to scream in anguish as the vortex in the middle of the room became much more violent, sucking in the black shadows more and more.

"I think it's working! Oh, you clever man!" Danielle exclaimed happily, grabbing onto the Doctor's arm and jumping up and down. He looked down at her and they both shared a happy grin.

" _The deep darkness! They are consumed!_ " the witch cried out as, behind them, the doors burst open. A mass of paper began flying out into the theatre only to be sucked up into the vortex with the rest of the Carrionites until, finally, with a flash of lightning and an almighty crash of thunder they all disappeared. The room settled as if nothing had happened and there was silence.

The crowd, slowly at first until they all came to the realisation they'd been tricked, began to clap the people on stage. They'd loved the show, they had no idea how it was pulled off but there was a good chance William would never hear the end of the requests for something just like it.

The Doctor lowered his speaker and frowned. The three Carrionites that had been sat in the balcony hadn't been sucked up with their sisters, but they were also nowhere to be seen.

Danielle tugged on his arm and he turned his attention back to her. "Bow," she told him, taking hold of his hand. "They think we faked it."

He was about to say they should correct them, but then he saw how happy the crowd was and just how happy she seemed to be. So he joined in, letting himself basque in the glory for a moment before letting go and dashing off stage. Danielle watched him go with a frown, but Shakespeare held onto her other hand and she decided that if it was important, he would have called for her to follow.

"This is brilliant," she told the play write over the cheers. "No wonder you love it."

"It is not as brilliant as you, my dear," he replied and she shot him a look.

"Yeah, don't do that," she told him bluntly. She looked up at the balcony and saw the Doctor holding a crystal ball, turning it over slowly and looking rather confused. She let go of Shakespeare's hand. "Enjoy."

She dashed off the stage, meeting up with the Doctor as he came down from the balcony. "What is that?" she asked before he could even say a word.

"Here, have a look yourself," he replied, handing it over to her. In the swirling smoke inside were the three aliens, snarling and banging as if trying to get out.

"Are they stuck in there?" she asked and he nodded.

"I'm going to take them to the TARDIS so no one accidentally lets them free," he told her.

"Witches in a magical blue box?" she teased back. "You're really like a fairytale, aren't you Spaceman?"

"Depends which one," he retorted, chucking his arm around her shoulder as she held the glass ball securely. "Prince Charming, maybe?"

She chuckled. "Perhaps," she agreed. "I was thinking more like the Mad Hatter."

"Oi, I can take you home, you know?" he warned and she smirked up at him.

"No, you wouldn't," she said confidently. "I'm too fantastic for that."

 _~0~0~0~_

The next day came and, after the night of rest, Danielle was both happy and sad to see the back of Shakespeare and the sixteenth century. Sad because she was having such a wonderful time with the Bard himself, but she really was looking forward to a proper shower and indoor plumbing. Plus, she had to admit she was getting itchy feet and she was looking forward to going somewhere new.

They found William in the Globe, checking over his theatre to make sure nothing was damaged. Luckily nothing seemed to have been broken or damaged. In fact, it was like a group of witches hadn't descended on the theatre at all.

He sat down on the stage next to the Doctor. "Tell me, what was that strange thing that you used to drive the Carrionites away?" he asked the Time Lord.

"Just a speaker, really," he replied. "It locked onto the right frequency for the energy converter to reverse and trap them up for the rest of time."

Shakespeare stared for a moment before letting out a bark of a laugh. "I understood none of that, Doctor," he admitted freely. "Which no longer surprises me. Meeting you has shown me that I know nothing of the world outside my own."

"It just mimicked the science behind the Carrionites magic," the Doctor explained. "Just like the right word in the right place has power, the sounds it made also held that power. It would have been the same had you made up a sonnet there and then with the right beats."

Danielle, who had been sat on the Doctor's other side, leant forward while holding a finger up. "Sorry, wait a…" she started. "Are you saying that we could have been there to hear a never-before-heard Shakespeare sonnet, and instead we got some… some stupid Morse code?"

The Doctor was absolutely affronted. "I thought you liked my backpack!" he protested.

"I would have _liked_ to hear Mr Shakespeare here using that fantastic brain of his to create some actual magic," she retorted.

"Does it actually matter?" Rose asked her as the Doctor crossed his arms, pouting. She knew Danielle didn't mean to hurt his feelings, but it was obvious they were very much hurt. "I mean, the day was saved. Surely that's all the matters?"

Danielle turned her head to look at her, an incredulous look on her face. "Of course it is," she replied. "But I could have heard _William Shakespeare_ creating poetry. Do you know how many people would dream of that?"

"Probably less people than would dream to travel amongst the stars with an alien," William replied, earning surprised stares off the trio. "You're from another world like the Carrionites," he told them like it was obvious. "And Rose and Danielle are from the future. It's not hard to work out."

Danielle grinned. "That's incredible. You are incredible."

"Not as near as you, my dear," he replied, jumping off the stage. "However, I would hate to leave such a fair maiden disappointed." He walked in front of her, taking her hand. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned deep red. " _Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_ " he started and her breath caught. " _Thou art more lovely and more temperate…_ "

" _Will!_ "

Danielle quickly shook her head as two men rushed into the room. "No, no, no, no, no…"

The two men came to a stop just by the entrance."Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She's turned up!" one exclaimed.

"We're the talk of the town," the other one continued. "She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Rose asked with a frown.

"Her Majesty! She's here."

"And that's our cue to leave," the Doctor said as he too jumped off the stage.

"We could meet the Queen," Rose pointed out and the Doctor shook his head.

"Nah, don't do well with royals," he explained. "Come on you two. There's a lot more to see."

As Danielle hopped down as well, Shakespeare kept hold of her hand. "Until next time, my sweet Danielle," he told her, placing a kiss on the back of her hand. She flushed deeply.

"Until next time, Will."

 _~0~0~0~_

 _I'm glad you all seemed to take to my little change. I have to admit I was a bit worried._

 _As always, if you haven't read the original Danni stories, go check out my profile!_

 _Reviews :)_

 _ **LilactheDryad** \- Well, you asked a couple of questions so I'll try and answer them! Firstly, though, yes the plan is for Danni to replace Clara completely and then some. This isn't the original Danni, this is Danielle Song, who yes is an echo. I absolutely **hate** bananas and therefore banana bread, and I decided to give her that little quirk because I can. The sonic thing I think I got off the internet, but honestly I can't remember. And telling you Martha's first trip would be a spoiler I don't want to give yet XD_

 _ **KatMackenzie93** \- Thanks sweetie! It's cute, isn't it? XD_

 _ **bwburke94** \- I'm glad she's starting to come together :)_

 _ **WeasleyIsLove** \- Yeah, I wanted her to have a bit more of an impact on the overall story than original Danni did. They're super cute, aren't they? XD_

 _ **serenitysaiyan** \- Yes, I aim to surprise! I can't possibly tell you about future Dannis, that would be all spoilery. But yes, the longer she's there, the harder it will be to lose her!_

 _ **Counting** **Sinful** **Stars** \- I know, she loves him so much XD_

 _ **bored411** \- Thanks sweetie! I'm glad you liked the change, I was worried for a little while people wouldn't._


	12. The Empty Child Part 1

Rose stumbled into the console room, her hands immediately shooting out either side of her to gain her balance. The hallway had been nice and stationary, so much so that she'd not known anything was wrong at all. Instead, she'd just been about to enter the room to ask what they were doing because she was getting rather bored.

Danielle was by the Doctor's side, and by the looks for it she was just trying to hold on for dear life as well. Rose took another step into the room.

"What's going on?" she cried as the room tilted to one side as she almost slammed into the wall. She fought against the force to stumble to the console.

"An emergency," Danielle replied for the Doctor as he fought to get the TARDIS under control.

"What's the emergency?" she asked back, using the console to get to the Doctor's other side. He had the monitor in front of him with an image of a cylindrical object spinning around in the space outside.

"It's mauve," the Doctor replied, as if it answered her question.

"Mauve?" she repeated.

"Apparently it's the universal colour for danger," Danielle explained. "Our letter got lost in the post, it would seem."

Her nose wrinkled up in confusion. "What happened to red?"

"That's just humans," the Doctor replied as he flicked a very large switch. "By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing," he glanced down at Danielle and they both shared a cheeky little smile. Rose rolled her eyes. Now was _not_ the time for the flirting, no matter how innocent it was. "It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go."

"And that's safe, is it?" she asked and he nodded, moving around to more controls.

"Totally," he promised just as the console exploded into sparks. She and Danielle both cried out at the same time, shielding their faces as the Doctor jumped back around.

"Safe my arse!" Danielle exclaimed. He nodded in agreement.

"Okay, reasonably," he compromised. "Should have said reasonably there."

The screen changed and the red head nudged him in his side. "What's it doing?"

His eyes widened and his efforts increased to keep behind the vessel outside. " _No, no, no, no_! It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us."

"What exactly is this thing?" Rose asked.

Danielle shrugged, a grin on her face. "We have absolutely no idea," she said happily.

"Then why are we chasing it?"

"It's mauve and dangerous," the Doctor said as if it explained everything. He then met her gaze. "And about thirty seconds from the centre of London."

The TARDIS swerved again as the Doctor fought to keep on the unidentified items tail. Danielle could tell he was struggling, and the TARDIS was reacting violently because of it. Both she and Rose had a very tough time just standing up straight so neither of them were much use.

" _Ah ha!_ " he cried suddenly and, with a shake, the TARDIS landed on the other side. "Got it." He turned to the two, who were both panting from their efforts. "What's wrong with you two?" he asked, sounding rather confused as he headed for the doors. "Come on. We haven't got all day."

Danielle shared a look with Rose but they both followed him out. "I think he just pretends he knows how to drive this thing," Rose told the ginger, who had to agree.

"Oi, I can hear you, you know?" he pointed out.

"Yeah, but you're not denying it, are you?" Danielle teased back and he shot her a look.

"I'll send you right back in there," he warned and she shook her head, grinning at him.

"Nah, you won't. You like me too much," she replied happily as they started walking down the dark alley he'd landed them in. There was barely any light at all and the area was dank and full of discarded rubbish.

"Must have come down somewhere quite close," he explained to them, not acknowledging that she was right. "Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

Rose looked at him, incredulous. "A month?" she exclaimed. "We were right behind it."

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place," he replied, defensive. "We're bound to be a little bit out."

"And what month is it, exactly?" Danielle asked, looking around at the old buildings. "It doesn't seem contemporary, does it?"

"Contemporary?" Rose asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say we were from here, would you?" Danielle replied. "I mean, look at this spot. When have you seen London this quiet? And this tidy?"

Rose took another look around and had to agree. The area wasn't exactly screaming cleanliness, but she'd seen her own estate in a much worse state than this alley. "When are we, then?" she asked the Doctor.

"Oh, er," he replied, speeding ahead slightly as he turned down another alley. "You know. London, sometime."

Rose and Danielle shared a look and a little smirk. "You didn't check, did you?" the ginger teased.

"Sorry, I was busy trying to stop something rather large and out of control getting away," he pointed out a little grumpily. Danielle nudged him.

"I know, and you did very well," she replied and he grinned. "Only a month or so out of the way."

His face fell and she giggled, which made him feel slightly better. She wasn't being mean, and he didn't feel like she was picking on him, but he just wanted them both to enjoy themselves.

"What's the plan, then?" Rose asked. "Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?"

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang," he replied with a little exasperation in his voice. "I'm going to ask." He pulled out his psychic paper and handed it over to her.

"Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids," she read out as they approached a wooden set of doors that looked like they had seen better days.

"It's psychic paper. It tells you…"

"Whatever you want it to tell me, I remember," Rose interrupted.

"Sorry," the Doctor replied. She leant against the door.

"Not very Spock, is it, just asking," she pointed out.

"Well, they're alien, aren't they?" Danielle reasoned as the Doctor pressed up against the doors, listening through them. "If they find out we're looking for them they'll probably go into hiding or sommat."

"What makes you say that?" he asked her, ingredient.

"Because they were flying through the… um..."

"The time vortex," he clarified and she nodded.

"Yeah, through the time vortex at a super stupid speed and very erratically. I suspect they weren't looking to get caught. If we go around all guns blazing they're just going to run."

He turned to Rose, nodding towards Danielle. "See, she gets it," he told her. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Door, music, people. What do you think?" he asked Danielle, who nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed and he crouched down to unlock the door.

" _I_ think you should do a scan for alien tech," Rose interjected. "Give us some Spock, for once. Would it kill you?"

He looked up at her, but instead of countering her words, he nodded at her. "Are you sure about that t-shirt?" he asked her.

She looked down at the Union Jack t-shirt she was wearing. It was a bit bright and garish, but she'd liked it on the hanger in the TARDIS wardrobe. "Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin."

He took a look at Danielle, who was in a black skirt and white blouse. The two girls had similar taste in clothes, he'd noticed, but Danielle seemed to dress up a bit more for trips out while Rose went with the 'comfy and practical' look that meant she looked more prepared should they need to some running or fighting monsters.

Danielle saw him look her outfit over and started fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "I've had this for a while now," she told the pair as a counter to Rose's new t-shirt. "Since I started uni. It's one of my favourites."

"It's nice," the Doctor quickly told her and Danielle blushed.

"Thanks," she replied quietly.

Rose rolled her eyes, looking away. Oh Lord, it was borderline painful to watch sometimes.

" _Mummy? Mummy?_ "

She frowned and stepped out from the doorway, listening to the voice neither of the other two seemed to have heard. She had a look around but the only way there seemed to be was upwards from where they came from. She could just see the TARDIS looking over them from the alleyway above – London really did have so many layers to its streets.

The Doctor smiled widely at Danielle when he unlocked the door. "There we go," he said happily and she grinned back.

"I need to get one of those," she told him. "Are they expensive?"

He looked down at the screwdriver. "Um, I'm not really sure," he admitted. "I sort of liberated this one."

She raised an eyebrow at him and he looked away, clearing his throat and saw Rose had wandered into the alleyway. "Come on if you're coming. It won't take a minute," he called to her so he didn't have to explain the origins of the sonic screwdriver to Danielle, before heading inside.

Danielle turned to Rose and saw that she was looking around, a confused look on her face and she stepped out towards the blonde. "What is it?" she asked.

"I could have sworn…" Rose started, still looking around before gasping as she stared straight up. "There!" she exclaimed.

Danielle looked up and gasped as well. "Oh my god, it's a kid!" she cried as she saw the silhouette of a child on the roof of the building above them. "It's dangerous up there. They might fall, come on!"

Danielle started jogging to the stone stairs that would take them up onto the upper level. Rose glanced back at the door where the Doctor disappeared. They couldn't just leave him. She turned back to Danielle. She couldn't let Danielle run off on her own, either, though. At least the Doctor knew what he was doing.

"Doctor?" she called into the building, hoping that he would hear her. "There's a kid up there!" She followed Danielle up the stairs, surprised by how concerned the red-head actually was about the kid. Rose could see how quickly she was running after them.

"Danni, wait!" she cried as she ran past the TARDIS and to the metal staircase that would take them up to the kid.

Danielle did slow down, but hopped from one foot to the other as Rose caught up to her. "Who would let a kid go up on the roof?" she asked Rose angrily.

"I don't know, but I'd like a word with them when we find them," Rose agreed heartily. The two rushed up to the top level and onto the roof. The child, inexplicably, seemed to have moved upwards without either of them noticing and was now on the metal box that sat on the flat roof.

Danielle turned to Rose. "Go get the Doctor," she told Rose firmly, in a tone that surprised the blonde. The normally shy and reserved young woman looked both determined and angry at the same time. "He can help. I'll try and get the kid down."

Rose nodded and dashed off. Danielle turned to the kid. The metal box they were stood on looked incredibly rusty. "Hey, are you alright?" she called up to them.

" _Mummy,_ " they called out in a singsong voice, which was made all the creepier by the fact it seemed they were wearing a mask. Maybe it was Halloween or something. " _Mummy_."

"We can help find your mummy," Danielle promised, looking for a way up. "Just stay still, alright? I'll…" Her eyes scanned the area until she spotted the rope tied to the structure. It seemed to go all the way up. It seemed like a really stupid idea, but what else could she do? She couldn't just leave them up there. If they fell, she'd never forgive herself. "I'll be right up there!"

She took hold of the rope, giving it a couple tugs with all of her strength to see if it would fall down or not. It seemed fine. She took a deep breath, but knew that the kid had to be so frightened that it didn't matter. She pulled herself up until she got her footing on the box before climbing slowly.

" _Mummy_ ," the kid called and she looked up. They were pointing upwards, towards the sky. " _Balloon._ "

Danielle's eyes widened as she spotted the barrage balloon that the rope was attached to, and shouted out in surprise as it began to float away from the box. She looked down. She was so far off the roof already, but she remembered where she'd come from. Or, rather, the two whole levels of buildings downwards she had come from.

She quickly let her grip go, sliding painfully down the rope a little way before it became clear that she had to drop or stay holding on. She fell down, landing on the small wall that made up the lip of the roof. She bounced, crying out painfully as she landed heavily on her arm, scraping it all along the wall before falling back onto the flat roof once again.

She looked up, cradling her arm close as the barrage balloon floated overhead. "That thing almost took me flying!" she exclaimed, outraged at the betrayal from the giant object. She looked down at her arm and hissed not just in pain, but at the blood that was pouring out onto her blouse. "Great, ruined," she murmured. The Doctor would heal her up. It was fine. The cut felt painful but her arm didn't, so she definitely hadn't broken anything,

She looked up at the box. "Kid, are you alright?" she called up before scrambling up in surprise. The kid was gone, there was no sign of anyone up above her. "Kid?!" she rushed over to the other edge of the roof, the only place they could have gone, and saw them walking down the bottom of another set of fire escape stairs that led down the street below. "Kid, wait!"

Around her a loud siren rang out and she winced in pain as it echoed through her head. There was no need for anything to be that loud. She looked up at the sky again and saw the silhouette of barrage balloons and bright spotlights shining. When did London have barrage balloons? And what was that…

"Oh my god," she whispered to herself, horrified. The obscured face wasn't just a mask. It was a _gas_ mask. "This is a bloody world war!"

She quickly ran down the staircase after the kid. It didn't matter how creepy a child was, she couldn't let a kid run around when there was an air raid about to descend on the city. She held her hurt arm close as she landed on the street, but there was no child to be seen. However, there was no streets shooting off from it, so she started running down and away from the TARDIS. She just hoped the Doctor would be able to find them both before something truly terrible happened.

 _~0~0~0~_

The air raid's were really starting to put a cramp into Jack's nightlife. He knew that it was just a matter of waiting and wasting time until he saw someone who could help him – those Time Agents that had followed his little ambulance through the time vortex would be rather nice. It had, so far, involved him bluffing his way into the officer's club and making himself quite at home. But, while he was there to have a good time before the business began, he really would rather the Germans took a few days off to allow him a couple of uninterrupted nights to relax.

He walked over to the window, looking out over London with a fondness. He did love a trip to Britain on occasion. Felt a little like going home. There was a certain charm that had him continuing to go back, and that made it easy for him to fool anyone he wanted.

He pulled out his binoculars and held them up to look out at the sky. He could see the planes heading their way a lot better than anyone else could in this time period, and he loved to watch the chaos fly by.

"Get those lights out, please. Everyone down to the shelter," he heard one of his fellow officers tell them all as his gaze fell on an untethered barrage balloon. That was going to cause some issues for the city later.

"Jack? Are you going down to the shelter?" asked Algy, another officer Jack had rather taken a fancy to, and who had _definitely_ taken a fancy to him. "Only I've got to go off on some silly guard duty. Ah, barrage balloon, eh? Must've come loose. Happens now and then. Don't you RAF boys use them for target practice?"

The balloon lost his interest rather quickly, as did Algy, so he started to look around on the ground below. It was pretty empty, and almost lost his interest as well until he caught sight of something that really made his night. A young lass was wandering around, clutching her arm to her chest as she quickly headed down the dark street. She was wearing a short skirt and a blouse, both items that were definitely not in keeping with the war around them.

He'd found himself a time agent.

"Excellent chest," Jack leered openly as he zoomed in on her. The man behind him frowned.

"I say, old man, there's a time and a place," he scolded but Jack knew that he liked it really. Algy _really_ liked it. "Look, you should really be off."

Jack turned, grinning at him. He definitely wasn't about to go hide in a shelter when he had something _much_ better on the cards. "Sorry, old man," he said smugly. "I've got to go meet a girl." He walked past him, not even pausing as he smacked Algy on his arse. "But you've got an excellent bottom, she's just all on top."

He disappeared out of the doorway before Algy could even process what he'd said. Playing with stupid old-fashioned sensibilities was _really_ a lot of fun.

 _~0~0~0~_

This was _such_ a bad idea. Danielle hurried down the shadowy street, clutching her arm to her chest like a wounded animal during the middle of an air raid that she could hear above her as well as in the distant causing destruction everyone.

And what for? Some kid in a gas mask who was playing hide and seek? It was absolutely ridiculous, and she should have stayed behind with the Doctor and Rose. That would have been the clever thing to do. Yeah, well, look where that had gotten her. She was going to get bombed.

"Oh, I'm so gonna get bombed," she groaned to herself. But she couldn't have just let the kid run around in an air raid, no matter how creepy they were. There was so many children out during the bombings, if she could just save _one_ then she knew she'd done something worthwhile.

" _Kid_ ," she hissed, not willing to shout very loudly even though no one was going to actually hear her. " _Kid, where are you?_ "

She glanced down at her arm and winced at all of the blood. It looked a lot worse than it was, but it still looked pretty damn bad. At least the Doctor will be able to help her heal it. He'd healed her up no trouble after Pete Tyler.

Did he think she was a clumsy little girl? She hoped not, even though it was true. Especially compared to such a grand, smart, clever alien such as the Doctor.

" _Kid_ ," she tried again. "You're not in trouble. I just don't want you to get hurt!"

She winced as something large flew overhead before darting into one of the shadows the buildings were casting on the ground. Maybe she should ring the Doctor? He'd given her mobile a rather lovely upgrade that she could use to call him. Did he even carry a mobile? She actually had no idea.

She stepped back into the street, squinting as she looked down. There really was no sign of the kid, now. How long did she follow a dead trial before giving up and heading back to the TARDIS? She knew her way back, but she was worried that going any further would get her well and truly lost.

Not that it mattered. She yelled out in surprise as a blue beam of light surrounded her, trapping her in much like something she would expect from Star Trek, and the next she wasn't on the street at all. She was in a very small room, made up of bolted together metal. There was a man sat in a chair in front of her who she guessed was the reason for her sudden shift in location.

She quickly looked around, looking for a way out, or something to help her escape. There wasn't much, though. There was a bed built into the wall, another chair screwed down onto the floor and that was about it. She looked down. There was grating on the floor. Perhaps she could rip it up and escape through it.

"Sorry about the abruptness," the man told her in an American accent. "But there is a war going on." He spun on his chair at the same time she bent down, threading her fingers through the grating. She yanked it upwards and saw that while a good sized panel had come off in her hand, there was just wiring and floor underneath. There was no way to escape.

So she held it up, wielding it like she was going to hit him with. Her injured arm shook as she had to use all of her strength, but she was sure the blood just added to the furious look on her face.

"Where the hell am I and who the hell are you?" she demanded firmly. He smirked, looking her up and down in a way that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable. She suddenly wished she could pull her skirt down.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness," he told her like it meant something. She just stared back it him, expecting more of an explanation.

"And?" she pressed when he didn't give her one. "Where the hell am I?"

He seemed rather surprised by her question, like he was expecting more from her. He stood up from his chair and she raised the grating to let him know that she was ready to smack him with it at any moment.

He chuckled, holding his hands up. "Woah, it's alright," he promised. "I'm not here to hurt you. This is my ship," he waved his hands out. "I saw you wandering and thought you might be in trouble."

She narrowed her eyes. "Do you just beam random people up onto your spaceship?" she asked.

"Only the pretty ones," he retorted and she felt her cheeks flush even if her glare never wavered. No one had called her pretty before. William had flirted with her, but he'd flirted with everyone. He took another step closer and she gave the grate a warning shake to remind him that she was very much armed.

Jack seemed to realise that he needed to take a different approach with her. "What's your name?" he asked.

She didn't answer him straight away. He didn't look particularly dangerous, but then again he had beamed her up into a spaceship without any warning at all. What if he flew her away before she could let the Doctor know where she was?

He'd probably do that whether she told him or not. And it's not like he could trace her from a name alone, right? She wasn't even from this time.

"Danielle," she replied shortly.

He paused for a moment to see if she would offer him her surname. She didn't, so he smiled at her. "Alright, Danielle," he started. "How about you put the grate down?"

She shook her head. "You've just beamed me up without asking into a spaceship in the middle of a war," she pointed out. "I'm keeping the grate."

He chuckled. "Spunky," he commented. "I like it."

She tried not to smile, but one broke through anyway. He seemed quite charming, really. And he didn't seem to want to hurt her. "What happened to the 'pretty ones'?" she asked, more curiously this time, without the edge to her voice that she'd put there to let him know she meant business.

"I don't kiss and tell," he replied smugly and her cheeks flushed darkly. He brought her up here to...

"I'm not doing that," she told him bluntly and he laughed.

"Oh, I got that feeling," he reassured her, just in case she thought threatening him wasn't enough. It wasn't, he wasn't easily deterred, but he wanted her to relax. "Don't worry, I just wanted to save you from the bombs, nothing else." She continued to stare at him, trying to work him out. Maybe he really did just want to save her, which was actually a little bit sweet, although she really didn't want him to know that.

"Alright, let's start again," Jack said. "I'm not from round here, and neither are you considering that I've 'kidnapped' you into a spaceship and you're only bothered by my intentions, as innocent as they may be."

Ah. He had her there. Damn. "Yeah, well, it's not my first spaceship," she replied.

"I got that," he said. He held his hand out to her. "Now, will you let me have a look at your arm?"

She shook her head. "I have a friend who can fix it when I get back to him," she told him. "It doesn't hurt."

"Well, that's just a lie," he scolded playfully. "And here was me thinking you were as innocent as you look, Danni."

She didn't correct him as much as she wanted to. Let him call her what he liked. She just wanted him to get her to the Doctor and Rose.

She slowly lowered the grate. "What if I'd just been some random person, though?" she asked. "How would you have explained all this to me?"

"Never been a problem before," Jack offered. "We're usually much more preoccupied."

Again, Danielle could feel her cheeks warming up. "Well, like I said, I'm not doing that," she replied with a bit of a stutter. Jack shot her a smirk.

"Give it time," he replied teasingly. "Will you let me have a look?" She was still a bit wary and she didn't want to admit that her arm was hurting a lot more than she was letting on. "I promise I won't hurt you."

After a pause she let the grate drop to the ground and reached out to him. He pulled her a bit closer and she hissed at the unexpected pain on her palm. He ignored it for a moment, instead he tilted her arm up so he could see the rather large gash on it.

"So, large cut and rope burns," he commented and she really tried to ignore how close his face was to hers. "You must have had one heck of a night."

She didn't appreciate the tease in his voice. "I fell from a barrage balloon onto a roof while chasing a kid," she quickly corrected him, looking away from the glint in his eye. Was everything an innuendo to him?

"A kid?" he repeated, pulling out a little light and shining it over the wound.

"Well, there's an air raid, ain't there?" she countered. "Couldn't just…" she hissed again as he gently pressed on the area around the area. "Couldn't just let them wander around and get blown up on their own."

"Pretty and with a heart of gold?" Jack asked in reply, moving down to look at her hand. He picked up the other one. "You're definitely one of a kind, Danni."

He pulled her a little closer and she couldn't help but blush again. "I do try," she said softly.

"Did you find the kid?" he asked, moving her hands together, keeping a grip on them as he reached up and took his scarf off.

"No," she replied, glancing back towards the cockpit of the ship. She couldn't see much out of the windows, it was too dark. "I hope they're alright," she whispered.

He wrapped the scarf around her wrists. "I'm sure they will be," he reassured and she frowned.

"What are you doing?"

"It's alright," he replied as he tied off the scarf end. "Just stand there."

He walked off behind her and a moment later a gold ball of light landed in her cupped hands. She laughed in delight as the ball pulsed for a few moments before spreading up her arm. It tickled lightly. "What is that?" she asked, amazed.

"Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots. The air in here is full of them," he explained as the light disappeared. She laughed again, tilting her arm so she could see where the wound should have been.

"They healed it all," she said. "That's amazing."

He walked back over, undoing the scarf. "You can stop acting now," he told her.

"Acting?" she asked, confused and he nodded.

"I know exactly who you are," he continued. "I can spot a Time Agent a mile away."

A Time Agent? Is that what she was called now? The Doctor was a Time Lord, maybe his friends are known as Agents. She didn't feel like an agent, but he seemed rather happy to be nice to her believing that she was one. What if he started asking her questions? She'd only been travelling with him for a little while, she didn't know an awful lot.

"I'm more of an apprentice?" she offered with a little grimace of a smile. "Not quite an agent yet."

He looked mildly surprised. "They're taking on apprentices now?" he asked and she shrugged.

"I guess so," she said vaguely. "I just go where I'm told to." Well, that was _kind_ of a lie. That was how she'd ended up on his spaceship in the first place.

He smiled at her before walking over to the side of the ship with the bed built into the wall. "Shall we get down to business?" he asked and she looked at him sharply, eyes wide.

"I told you, I don't do that," she retorted and he laughed.

"Oh, Danni, I'd love to know where you mind is heading," he teased before pressing a button on the wall. The ceiling started to lower itself down and she had to back away slightly. There was a staircase leading up and she couldn't help but smile, amazed.

"That's so cool," she whispered and he nodded.

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" he asked, suddenly holding a bottle of something alcoholic, and she shook her head.

"I don't… I don't really drink," she said apologetically.

"Ah, one won't hurt," he replied, heading up the stairs. "Bring up the glasses." She looked around, confused before spotting two glasses sat randomly on the controls in the cockpit. Had they always been there? She picked them up, giving them a little inspection to see if they were clean, before heading up after him.

Her pace slowed as she neared the top of the stairs, noticing that there was nothing around or under them that suggested they were coming out of a spaceship. Jack was stood opening the bottle in the middle of the air without a care, so she slowly stepped out as well.

He turned to look at her. "Invisible ship?" she questioned and he nodded. "That's pretty cool."

"Just pretty cool?" he asked, acting hurt and she shrugged, walking over to him with only a little nervousness over falling down.

"I've seen cooler," she said teasingly, thinking about the TARDIS. He pulled out a little keyring and pressed a button on it. The ship shimmered into existence underneath their feet and he couldn't help but be rather amused at the smile that appeared at the sight.

"Still only pretty cool?" he questioned and she nodded.

"Sorry," she said. "I do have a friend, though, who would _love_ this." She frowned, thinking on Rose. "Maybe I should let her know I'm alright." She turned and blinked in surprise, wondering how she managed to miss the giant clock face that they were parked up against. "Is that… Are we floating in front of Big Ben?"

"First rule of active camouflage. Park somewhere you'll remember," he offered before he started to pour her a drink.

"But aren't we a bit conspicuous?" she asked him and he shook his head.

"You'll be surprised what people miss when they're looking straight at you," he said. He raised his own glass up to hers, clinking them together before taking a sip. She followed suit, surprised that she didn't find it too unpleasant.

"The wine's nice," she offered anyway and he chuckled.

"It's champagne," he told her. "You really don't drink, do you?"

She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a good girl."

"Oh, I very much doubt that," he shot back just to see her blush again. It was almost painfully obvious that she really didn't have much experience in certain areas of life, but he definitely didn't mind that. He was _very_ skilled at bewitching men and women alike.

He sat down on the roof of his ship, motioning for her to join him. While he lounged back, she sat rather like she was in a chair, pulling her skirt down.

"So, what made you join the Agency?" he asked her, taking another sip.

"Oh, um…" She hadn't been expecting that question. "I guess… I guess my life was just really boring, and when I saw something more, I knew I had to take it. Plus my friend was really encouraging."

He watched her smile softly and knew exactly what that smile meant. "Your _friend_ , eh?" he asked. "Should I be disappointed?"

"What? No!" she exclaimed, laughing slightly. "He's just… He invited me along, so I said yes. He's just…" She looked to her side at Big Ben. "I really should be getting back to him," she commented. "I don't want him to worry about me when I'm perfectly fine and safe."

"I'm sure he can wait five more minutes," Jack replied. "Finish your drink first."

She looked down at her glass, then up at Jack. He was smiling at her, encouraging her to stay and she grinned before lifting it to her lips.

"Alright," she conceded. She had to admit, she was loving the attention. Shakespeare had flirted with her, but he seemed to flirt with everyone and beyond that fact that he'd been _William Shakespeare_ , she'd not really thought it had come from anywhere at all. Jack genuinely seemed to be interested. He wasn't bad looking, either. She wasn't interested but it felt rather nice to not be the overlooked one. "One more drink."

 _~0~0~0~_

Jack poured another drink for himself, but Danielle pushed the bottle away before he could top hers up any more. The small talk between them was nice, but she couldn't stop glancing at the clock face they were parked against. She stood up, pulling her skirt down to make sure she stayed decent.

"This has been lovely but I really have to go," she told him. "They're going to be worried about me. So, if you could just… you know, beam me back down, I'd be very grateful."

"We're discussing business," he replied cheekily and she shook her head.

"No, you're trying and failing to get me drunk," she replied. "Although I'm not entirely sure why."

He watched her look down at herself under the guise of straightening out her clothes. Low self esteem as well? That always seemed like a shame.

He drank the last of his drink, placing the glass down next to hers. "I try never to discuss business with a clear head," he told her. He walked over, hands in his trouser pockets and he suddenly seemed a little less playful. "Are you authorised to negotiate with me?"

She stared at him a moment, actually feeling a little hurt. He'd just been buttering her up, hadn't he? Not that she was interested, but he didn't have to try and play her like that.

"Probably not, no," she replied bluntly. "Why?"

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy," he explained. Danielle shrugged.

"Well, I have no access to any money," she explained. "So maybe you can stop wasting your time on me and…"

Hang on, something time Time Agency would want? Would that be the thing they were chasing? Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked over the older man. He had a spaceship, he knew about time travel. The thing came through from the time vortex, hadn't it? That's what the Doctor had said.

"My friend might, though," she continued like she'd not been about to tell him off for trying to play her. "He's more experienced than I am." Jack cocked his eyebrow and she felt herself flush. "What-What I mean is… He's done this a lot more than… No, that's not what I meant either…"

She looked ready to stomp her feet in her own frustration at being unable to get her words out. It was downright adorable. Jack had seen her start to pull away from his unique charm, but he could reel her in very quickly.

"Do you like Glenn Miller?" he asked randomly. She pulled a face.

"Who doesn't?" she countered. He grinned and pulled out a little device. With one press of the button on the side it buzzed – much like the sonic screwdriver, she thought – and the mellow, beautiful tones of Glenn Miller started playing.

She giggled. "Is that Moonlight Serenade?" she asked and he nodded. He took a couple of steps closer to her and suddenly she found herself dancing to the music. He held one of her hands in his with his other arm around her waist.

Briefly she thought back to her prom, with lack of date and barely any friends to go with. Now she was dancing with an American captain on top of a spaceship during a German bombing. Times really did change.

"What- What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

"It's 1941, the height of the London Blitz," Jack replied instead. "The height of the German bombing campaign, and something else has fallen on London. A fully equipped Chula warship. The last one in existence, armed to the teeth." He pulled back slightly, his dipped head very close to hers. "And I know where it is, because I parked it," he boasted. "If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is going to fall on it and destroy it forever."

Danielle stopped dancing, pulling back from him. "And let me guess? You're only going to tell us where it is if we can offer you a – how should I… - a reward?" she asked knowingly.

"Can your friend make payment?" Jack retorted and Danielle quickly nodded.

"I'm sure he can," she lied effortlessly. "Unfortunately, I've got a rather cocky criminal trying to get me drunk and trick me into _dancing_ with him."

He looked a little sheepish. "Well, what's a little business without pleasure?" he shot back.

"Not something you'll get me to participate in," she retorted. "I'm young, not stupid." She sighed. "I don't even know where either of them are," she explained.

He grinned. "Oh, that's easy," he told her, pulling up his sleeve to reveal some sort of device strapped to his wrist. She really wanted to ask what it was, but doing so seemed a little unwise if she was trying to convince him she knew what she was doing. "I'll do a scan for alien tech."

Danielle couldn't help but smile. "Oh, Rose is going to love you," she said. He glanced to his side to look at her.

"Who's Rose?" he asked her.

"My other friend," she explained before smirking knowingly. " _Blonde._ "

He paused his fingers. "Blonde, you say?" he asked, suddenly intrigued. She rolled her eyes.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Sorry for such a long break between chapters, but if you follow the main Danni story series then you're going to know why. For anyone who doesn't... well, you should. There's like, 250 chapters over five stories and it's getting really good._

 _Love you all very much xxx_


	13. The Empty Child Part 2

The Doctor didn't understand it. He'd asked quite a reasonable question, hadn't he? Someone _must_ have seen something large falling from the sky in the middle of London. It was a strange thing to happen, wasn't it? He was sure Earth never had large metal objects falling from the sky on a daily basis, so why was everyone in the club laughing?

"Sorry, have I said something funny?" he asked as all the well-dressed patrons continued laughing, pretty much ignoring him. "It's just, there's this thing that I need to find. Would've fallen from the sky a couple of days ago."

A loud siren started sounding. They all continued to ignore him, not answering his questions at all, as they finished their drinks and all stood up to leave.

"Would've landed quite near here," he called after them with the hope that someone, _anyone_ would answer him. "With a very loud..." He looked up at the ceiling, his brows furrowing. That sounded very familiar. What was it?

He watched the crowd leave, still unsure of what was going on, until his eyes landed on the posters stuck to the wall.

 _Hitler will send no warning!_

"Bang," he finished off before shaking his head. No wonder no one was listening to him. He should have checked to see when they had landed. It was a rookie mistake, Danielle had been right. He was in World War 2 asking people if something had fallen out of the sky with a rather large bang. He was an idiot, and she would have seen him do that as well.

Not that he was entirely bothered about whether she thought he was an idiot or not. He just didn't like anyone seeing him be stupid.

He quickly headed for the door with no intention of heading down into the shelters with the rest of the population. Rose was stood there, a little smirk on her face which said she'd seen him flouder up on the stage.

"Not a word," he warned her before frowning. She was on her own. "Where's Danielle?"

"There's a kid, up on the roof," Rose explained quickly. "She went on to try and help 'im and told me to come get you."

The Doctor's eyes widened slightly. "And you let her go on her own?" he exclaimed. "Rose, there's an air raid on out there!"

"Yeah, one that neither of us knew about because _you_ wouldn't pull out any of the alien tech," she countered. "Because you wanted to show off to Danni."

He was already striding towards the exit and she had to jog to fall back into step with him. "Danielle," he corrected without much thought. "And I wasn't showing off. I didn't have time to show off? Why would I show off?"

"Oh, you claim to be all non-domestic, but I know a bloke showing off when I see 'im," she told him. "You wanted to be all big and smart..."

"That's enough of that," he said firmly. "Now where is she?"

"She's up th..." Rose trailed off, frowning to herself as they looked up at the building above them. "Well, she was up there."

"Great." He chucked his arms up at his sides as he turned around, trying to spot the red head. It shouldn't have been difficult with that bright ginger hair of hers, but there was obviously no sign of her anywhere. "We've lost her, in the middle of a war, with an air raid going on!"

"She'll 'ave just gone after the kid," Rose replied. "She was hell bent on trying to catch them up. She'll head back to the TARDIS when she can. She grew up in London, she knows her way around."

"The streets have changed since you two were born," he reminded her, although he knew she was probably right. Danielle wasn't stupid, far from it. She'd either catch the kid and take them home, or give up when she couldn't and head back to the TARDIS. Either way she'd go back and wait for them.

Still, he'd feel a lot better if he could find her. But he also needed to sort out this large bomb-type thing that wasn't a bomb, that had landed in a city full of bombs.

He hated choices like this.

"Call her," he commanded, shooting Rose a look to let her know he wasn't joking around. "Let her know what we're doing and tell her to come _straight back_ to the TARDIS."

Rose rolled her eyes but did as he said. Danielle's phone didn't even ring, it went to voicemail. "Hey Danni," she said cheerfully. "When you get this ring us back, would ya? The Doctor says head for the TARDIS, but we're going out looking for this metal thing. Be careful, though. He's managed to bring us to the middle of a world war..."

The Doctor snatched the phone out of her hand. "Enough of _that_ ," he warned her before holding the tiny phone to his ear. "Danielle, it's not safe out there," he told her. "Head back to the TARDIS and wait for us there. And no more wandering off."

He handed her back the phone before looking around. He wasn't sure what had landed in the city before something bad happened to it, or the population around it. Could he just wander around during a blitz? Even he knew that was a rather ridiculous idea.

Then again, he couldn't exactly just fly the TARDIS through the blitz, either. Short distance travel wasn't exactly the time machine's strong suit, after all. Last thing he needed was a bomb dropping nearby and him landing exactly underneath it.

And then there was the rapidly increasing nervous feeling he was getting. A deep feeling of dread that just seemed to get worse when he thought about her being out in London where there were bombs falling and no one around to save her from it.

"She wouldn't be stupid to walk around for too long," Rose reasoned. "Just, you know, in case you're worried."

His brows furrowed as he looked down to her, only to see the smirk on her face. She was obviously implying something that, as a nine-hundred-year-old alien, he knew all about. He rolled his eyes and walked away towards the TARDIS, not dignifying the implication with a response.

"Why does everyone wander off?" he asked no one in particular. "Nine hundred years of phone box travel, it's the only thing left to surprise me."

Rose joined him at his side as they headed up the alleyway. "Maybe you're not the boss that you…"

 _Ring_!

The Doctor held up his hand to cut her off. There was definitely the distinct sound of a phone ringing coming from the blue police box. Rose nodded towards it. "That'll be her," she told him factually.

He shook his head, motioning at her to be quiet as he gingerly approached the TARDIS. His bewildered look confused her as he opened the small door on the front revealing the old-fashioned phone on the other side. Rose wondered for a moment if the TARDIS had changed it to fit the time period, but then remembered the blue police box it was currently pretending to be and dismissed the thought.

"How can you be ringing? What's that about, ringing?" he asked it. Rose was reminded yet again how alien he was. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?"

"It's a phone, it's what they do," Rose told him slowly. She felt like she was talking to a toddler sometimes.

He looked at her like she had two heads. "It's not a real phone," he told her.

She pulled a face, defensive. "Well, how was I supposed to know that?"

"Don't answer it."

Rose jumped a mile at the new voice. They both looked down the alley to see a young woman, roughly Rose's age, walking towards them. She had her hair in braided pigtails and a long dark blue coat.

"It's not for you," she finished.

The Doctor and Rose shared a look before he turned to the woman. "And how do you know that?" he asked.

"'Cos I do," she replied with the typical cryptic firmness a lot of the people he encountered. "And I'm telling you, don't answer it."

"He said it's not real," Rose replied. "How can it be ringing if it's not real."

"Don't answer it," the woman repeated.

"But it's not even connected," the Doctor told her, turning to the phone. "It's not…"

"She's gone," Rose told him. The woman had turned and dashed when he'd turned his back. "What is going on?"

The Doctor didn't really have an answer. But, there was one way to find out. He picked up the phone. "Hello?" The phone crackled, as if there was a bad connection and he frowned. "Hello?" he tried again, but still there was no answer, just more crackling. "This is the Doctor speaking. How may I help you?"

" _Mummy? Mummy?"_ a child's voice asked.

Well, that wasn't worrying at all. A child that could phone a dummy phone, on the TARDIS, had to be incredibly powerful. "Who is this?" he asked. "Who's speaking?"

" _Are you my mummy?_ " the child asked. They sounded scared, but it still didn't answer any of his questions.

Danielle had gone after a child. What if it meant she was in danger. "Who is this?" he demanded firmly.

" _Mummy?_ "

"How did you ring here?" he pressed. "This isn't a real phone. It's not wired up to anything."

The child asked for their mummy one more time before they hung up and all he could hear was the dial tone. A dial tone on a phone that wasn't actually a phone. Something more than a misplaced bomb was going on here, and he knew it had to do with the thing that fell out of the vortex and into London. It could be anything, hurting anyone, luring young kind-hearted women away from safety and…

He quickly hung the phone up with more force that was properly necessary. He needed to work out what was going on and find Danielle. He knocked on the door. "Danielle?" he asked before opening the door. "Are you in there?"

There was no one and he slammed the door shut. "Who was it?" Rose asked him. "Was it Danni?"

"Danielle," he corrected. "And no, it wasn't. It was a child."

Rose's own brows furrowed. "Do you think it's the same one?" she asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But hanging around here isn't going to help." Something in the alleyway moved, knocking over a bin and they both turned their attentions to it. "That sounds like the right place to start. Come on."

As he ran to the end of the alleyway and Rose quickly followed. She knew he was worried about Danielle, as was she now that she'd found out they were in the middle of an air raid, but why couldn't he just admit it? It would make this running around a lot easier to bear. She was a sucker for a Rom Com.

 _~0~0~0~_

They'd followed the young woman into an empty house, finding her looking after a gaggle of young girls and boys, making sure they were fed and watered. It was incredibly endearing, and showed that fighting spirit that made humanity the Doctor's favourite race, despite the fact that their actions could make them one of his least as well.

This young woman had taken it upon herself to look after as many homeless children as she could just because, in times of need, people helped each other. The Doctor knew grander and older races who wouldn't even dream of helping the most in need. He loved it.

It did occur to him that the group of kids may have known the one Danielle had been following, but that ended up being a dead end. It was while he was asking them about the bomb-that-wasn't-a-bomb, though, that there was a knocking on the front door.

" _Mummy?_ "

Instantly the whole atmosphere of the room changed. The Doctor recognised the voice from the phone, but it was obvious the children all knew it as well.

" _Are you in there, mummy?_ "

Both the Doctor and Rose shared a look before getting out of their seats. The Doctor pulled the curtain back on the window to see a little boy outside, gas mask on ready for the bombs that were going to fall.

Rose laid a hand on his arm. "That's the kid," she told him. "The one Danielle followed."

"Then where is she?" he asked in reply.

"Who was the last one in?" Nancy asked. The Doctor only had to take one look at her to see that she was panicking.

Ernie, one of the children, motioned at the pair. "Them two."

"No, they came 'round the back," she replied. "Who come in the front?"

"Me," a small lad spoke up, sounding shy, like he was going to get in trouble.

"Did you close the door?" she demanded. She was terrified of the child on the other side, they all were. She ran out of the room, locking the open front door before the child could get in, backing away from it the moment she could.

Rose and the Doctor followed her. "What's this, then?" the Doctor asked her, startling her.

"He's just a kid," Rose added. "We can't just leave him out there!"

"We can't let him in," Nancy told them both. "It's not exactly a child."

"What does that even mean?" Rose retorted, the maternal angriness Jackie Tyler portrayed so well coming out in her daughter. "Listen to 'im! He just wants his mum!"

Nancy's gaze dropped, but she didn't deviate from what she thought was best. She rushed into the dining room and ushered the children out the back door.

The child continued to cry for his mum, going as far as sticking his hand through the door, reaching for a parent he obviously couldn't find.

Rose gasped at the sight of the large gash on the back of his hand. "He's 'urt!" she exclaimed, moving closer to him. "We can't just…"

She reached out to check his hand but a vase had her moving out of the way. Nancy, now back in her large coat, had thrown it at the door. "You mustn't let him touch you!" she told them back.

"What happens if he touches you?" the Doctor asked lowly.

"He'll make you like him." This sounded like a terrible thing, although neither Rose nor the Doctor knew why.

"And what's he like?"

Nancy shook her head. She'd obviously already said more than she wanted to and she started backing away. "I've got to go."

"Nancy, what's he like?" the Doctor asked again.

"He's empty." The phone in the hallway starting ringing and Nancy instinctively backed away from it. "It's him," she said, desperate to get away. "He can make phones ring. He can. Just like with that police box you saw."

The Doctor didn't doubt that at all. The TARDIS phone didn't just ring on its own, the child was obviously using whatever it could find to communicate. He still couldn't understand why she seemed so terrified of the little boy. He picked up the phone.

" _Are you my mummy_?"

The Doctor didn't have a chance to reply as Nancy ripped the phone from his hand and slammed it back on the hook. Almost instantly the radio in the dining room sparked into life, music blaring out of it along with the child's pleas for his mummy.

"How's he doing that?" Rose asked the Doctor as a clockwork monkey started clapping its cymbals together. The Doctor tried to change the channel on the radio but while the music behind it changed, the child's voice didn't even flicker.

"You stay if you want to," Nancy declared before rushing out after the children. Rose didn't even wait for a look from the Doctor.

"I'm on it!" she cried, rushing out after Nancy. He didn't mind this time, because they needed to make sure that they didn't lose her. Nancy held a lot of answers they needed about the item they'd chased through the time vortex.

First, though, there was a scared little boy who needed help. That was why Danielle had gone off after him and the Doctor wanted to find out why.

" _Please let me in,"_ the child begged. The Doctor walked over to the door and crouched down in front of it.

"Your mummy isn't here," he broke to the child. Immediately the music came to a halt.

" _Are you my mummy?_ "

The Doctor shook his head. "No mummies here. Nobody here but us chickens. Well," he looked over his shoulder to where everyone else had exited, "this chicken."

" _I'm scared._ "

The little boy reached out, trying to grasp hold of something. The Doctor couldn't understand it – what did 'he's empty' even mean? From what he could see it was just a little boy who wanted him mummy.

"Why are those other children frightened of you?"

" _Please let me in, mummy_." He didn't seem to want to answer, which was more disturbing than frightening. There was a chance that he was so scared that all the little boy could ask for was him mummy. On the other hand, though, it could have been the only thing he _could_ say, and that was what worried the Doctor.

If Nancy and the other children were scared of him, what had happened to Danielle?

"My friend went to help you. Do you know where she is?" he tried.

" _Please, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs,_ " the child begged, not giving an answer as the Doctor had expected. And, for every part of the Doctor that told him it was a terrible idea, there was a part that said that he really should let the child in.

"Okay. I'm opening the door now." The child pulled its hand from the letterbox and the Doctor undid all the bolts keeping the door locked. But when he opened the door the child was gone. No sign anywhere, or of Danielle.

 _~0~0~0~_

They followed Nancy to her little hideout, where she was keeping food to help the kids she was looking after. Rose had to admit that she was rather impressed that, despite the war and the bombs, the girl was still trying to do her part. It was something that really was lacking in her time at large, but also something that she knew was still around in smaller communities.

She knew that, when she'd been away for the year she'd not meant to miss, people rallied around Jackie and took care of her. Apparently, she'd been inundated with cakes and casseroles and help that she'd had to start making excuses just to stop people coming around. They took care of their own on her little estate and stuff like this, the 'wartime effort', just reminded her of home.

Nancy had taken them to where the bomb-that-wasn't-a-bomb had landed. The Doctor still didn't know what it was, and therefore Rose didn't know either. All she could see was a large lump hidden under a tarpaulin. But there was obviously something underneath it, something that the soldiers around it didn't want them to see.

She lowered the binoculars the Doctor had given her to look into the area. "They don't want people in there, do they?" she commented as she handed them back."

"They put the fence up overnight," Nancy explained before motioning to beyond where the bomb was sat. "See that building? The hospital."

The Doctor raised his head, looking through the binoculars at the large, dark building. "What about it?"

"That's where the doctor is. You should talk to him."

The Doctor used the binoculars to examine the building, but saw nothing out of the ordinary for the time and place. He lowered his gaze back to the bomb. "For now, I'm more interested in getting in there."

"Talk to the doctor first," Nancy insisted.

"Why?" Rose asked. She couldn't help it. Now that she had met the Doctor, every time she even heard the word 'doctor' her first thought was him. Was he sat in that hospital, helping out those in need?

"Because then maybe you won't want to get inside," Nancy replied before she started heading up the stairs of the railway bridge and away from them

"Where're you going?" Rose asked her. "We need your help."

"There was a lot of food in that house," she replied. "I've got mouths to feed. Should be safe enough now."

She turned her back again. "Can I ask you a question?" the Doctor asked without looking away from the bomb. Nancy didn't reply, which meant she wasn't objecting. "Who did you lose?"

"What?" she asked, confused.

The Doctor finally looked at her. The confusion wasn't real, it was just a mask she had on. He understood that all too well. "The way you look after all those kids. It's because you lost somebody, isn't it? You're doing all this to make up for it."

"My little brother. Jamie." It took her a moment, but no one could resist the Doctor's kind face. "One night I went out looking for food. Same night that thing fell. I told him not to follow me, I told him it was dangerous, but he just..." She looked ready to cry, but she was smiling fondly at the thought of her little brother. "He just didn't like being on his own."

"I'm sorry," Rose offered her. Nancy shot her a sad smile, appreciating the platitude.

"What happened?"

Rose nudged the Doctor in the side. "A bomb fell," she said, telling him off for a lack of tack. "What do you think happened."

To his credit, he did look a little sheepish and Rose felt the slight exasperation at his question fall away. She could see why Danielle liked him so much, he could be sweet at times.

There was a long pause. "What about you?" Nancy countered. "Who are you looking for?"

"What makes you think I'm looking for anyone?" the Doctor replied.

"The fact that you said so?" Nancy reminded him before her snarkiness fell away. "Because you keep looking," she explained. "Me? I know my- my brother ain't coming back. But you? You know they're out there."

"Our friend Danielle went after the little boy who came to the house," he said. "And we've not seen her since."

She nodded slowly to herself, almost as if she'd expected him to say that. "Go see the doctor," she insisted again. "He'll help you find her."

The Doctor watched her for a moment and, even if she felt uncomfortable, she didn't shift under his gaze. There was more to this human than she was letting on because she'd read him incredibly well. Now that there was a chance Danielle was up in that hospital he was all ready to disregard the unidentified object just to make sure she was alright.

He wasn't sure when she'd managed to pull such a desperate feeling from him, but he hated to think what his life would be like without her. Without either of them, really.

He shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Amazing."

"What is?" Nancy asked, because she really hoped he wasn't talking about what had happened to Jamie.

"1941," he replied before looking up. Fire exploded in the sky as a battle raged on around them. "Right now, not very far from here, the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe. Country after country, falling like dominoes. Nothing can stop it. Nothing. Until one, tiny, damp little island says no. No. Not here." He chuckled again. "A mouse in front of a lion." He turned to Nancy. "You're amazing, the lot of you." Don't know what you do to Hitler, but you frighten the hell out of me." He grinned. "Off you go then do what you've got to do. Save the world."

Without another word, Nancy turned and walked away. Rose, on the other hand, nudged him with her shoulder. "We scare you?" she asked teasingly.

The Doctor looked at her like she was stupid. "Have you met your mother?" he asked. He started heading down the stairs they were stood on and to the path that would lead them to the hospital. "Or Danielle? After watching her with your mistake of a boyfriend-"

"Adam wasn't my boyfriend."

"- would _you_ want to be on her bad side?"

No, she didn't. She still found it rather hard to associate that whirlwind of anger with the quiet girl she'd barely noticed at school, but her anger wasn't exactly calm and collected. A red-head's temper, as her mum would have said.

"It's strange, though," she replied with a grin.

"What? The mysterious woman taking care of the runaways of the war? The military hoarding an alien craft? Or the child who's not a child asking for his mummy?"

"No, the way that your mind immediately went to Danni," she replied knowingly. "Like she's always at the front of your mind."

He looked positively affronted. "Or, perhaps, it's the fact that we still haven't found her," he pointed out. "You humans, always looking for a good gossip."

He stormed forward, keeping a pace that was slightly too fast for her to keep up with. She shook her head. God, it really was like living in a soap opera.

 _~0~0~0~_

"What's wrong with them?" Rose hissed.

The Doctor didn't really have an answer for her. The wards in the hospital had been dark, but that was because of the air raid going on outside. But each ward had lines of beds, and in each bed was a patient. None of them were being monitored, none of them were moving. They all also had a gasmask on. Some of them weren't even in hospital clothing. They'd just been laid down and left. Each ward they'd checked had patients that all seemed to be the same. Lifeless and abandoned.

"You'll find them everywhere," a voice told them from the doorway, making Rose jump but the Doctor barely flinch. An older man with a white jack and a walking stick came into the room. "In every bed, in every ward. Hundreds of them."

"Yes, we saw," the Doctor replied. "Why are they still wearing gas masks?"

"They're not," the man replied. "Who are you?"

"I'm, er," the Doctor started before thinking better of it. There were always people on the lookout for him, and he really didn't want to get Rose into more trouble than he did normally. "Are you the doctor?"

"Dr Constantine," he said. "And you are?"

"Nancy sent us," the Doctor offered, obviously trying not to give any more information.

"Nancy?" Dr Constantine said, a knowing tone in his voice that said he'd had visits like this before. He walked past them and towards the table in the middle of the room. "That means you must've been asking about the bomb."

"Yes."

"What do you know about it?"

"Nothing. Why we were asking," the Doctor explained. "What do you know?"

"Only what it's done." His pointed look at the patients said everything.

"All of them were hit by the bomb?" Rose asked, horrified. "But there's hundreds of them!"

If Dr Constantine was taken aback by the loud t-shirt and strange clothes she was wearing he didn't let it show. He'd probably seen enough to not care anymore. "None of them were," he replied. He chuckled, like he had told some sort of joke, before it quickly turned into a hacking cough. Rose immediately moved forward to help him sit down, but he stopped her with a wave of his hand.

"You're very sick," the Doctor commented.

"Dying, I should think. I just haven't been able to find the time," Dr Constantine replied. "Are you a doctor?"

"I have my moments," the Doctor replied with a shrug.

"Have you examined any of them yet?"

"No."

"Don't touch the flesh," Dr Constantine warned.

"Which one?" the Doctor asked.

"Any one." With a rather confused look the Doctor walked over to one of the patients.

"Has a young girl been brought in?" he asked as he pulled his sonic screwdriver. "Red head? Would have been in the last hour or so."

"We've not had any new patients in weeks," the man replied as the Doctor scanned the patient. Rose leaned over from the other side, but also took the doctor's advice and didn't touch the flesh. They were incredibly creepy looking. She guessed it was the gasmask.

"Massive head trauma, mostly to the left side. Partial collapse of the chest cavity, mostly to the right. There's some scarring on the back of the hand and the gas mask seems to be fused to the flesh, but I can't see any burns," the Doctor listed off.

"Examine another one," Dr Constantine commanded. The Doctor moved around to the next bed, doing it again. Rose watched the bewilderment flash on his face.

"This isn't possible," he declared before moving onto another. "They've all got the same injuries."

"Yes," Dr Constantine confirmed.

"Exactly the same!"

"Yes."

"Identical, all of them, right down to the scar on the back of the hand."

"But that can't be possible," Rose said, agreeing with him. "There must be- must be some difference."

"They're all identical," the Doctor told her before turning to Constantine. "How did this happen? How did it start?"

"When that bomb dropped, there was just one victim," the doctor started.

"Nancy's little brother?" Rose guessed and he nodded. "The one who died?"

"He was dead at first," Constantine corrected. "His injuries were truly dreadful. By the following morning, every doctor and nurse who had treated him, who had touched him, had those exact same injuries. By the morning after that, every patient in the same ward, the exact same injuries. Within a week, the entire hospital. Physical injuries as plague. Can you explain that?" he asked the pair, who didn't say a word. There wasn't a way to explain it and he obviously didn't expect them to. "What would you say was the cause of death?"

"The head trauma?" the Doctor guessed. Constantine shook his head. "Asphyxiation?"

"No."

"The collapse of the chest cavity?"

"No."

"All right. What was the cause of death?" he asked.

"There wasn't one. They're not dead." He whacked a bin with his cane. Every single patient, in unison, sat up in bed. Both the Doctor and Rose jumped away from them, the Doctor moving them both back towards the door. "It's all right. They're harmless. They just sort of sit there. No heartbeat, no life signs of any kind. They just don't die."

"And they've just been left here? Nobody's doing anything?" the Doctor asked, horrified. If Danielle had touched the little boy, even for a second…

"I try and make them comfortable. What else is there?" Constantine replied, sounding both offended and defeated.

"Just you? You're the only one here?"

"Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither. But I'm still a doctor," the man retorted with conviction. The Doctor nodded.

"Yeah. I know the feeling," he muttered.

"I suspect the plan is to blow up the hospital and blame it on a German bomb," Constantine said.

"And just kill them?" Rose asked. "But they're not dead, they can't be!"

"It's probably too late anyway," the Doctor said.

"There are isolated cases... Isolated cases breaking out all over London," he explained before coughing, choking on his own breath. They both stepped forward to help again, but he held a hand out to stop them. "Stay back, stay back. Listen to me. Top floor. Room eight oh two. That's where they took the first victim, the one from the crash site. And you must find Nancy again. She knows more than she's saying. She won't tell me, but she mi-mi- mi-" His hand flew to his neck and he looked up at them with painfilled eyes. "Mummy. Are you my mummy?" he gasped painfully before his whole face morphed, first with the mouth. Rose held a hand to her mouth in horror as he turned into another one of the patients, his features twisting horrifically.

" _Hello?_ " a male voice called out from the hall.

" _Doctor?"_

Rose barely had time to register it was Danielle's voice. The Doctor was already out of the door and down the hallway and she had to jog to keep up with him. Down the hallway Danielle was almost jogging as well, trying to keep up with a rather good-looking man dressed in an overcoat.

"Doctor!" Danielle cried again, rushing the rest of the way. The man joined her, reaching out and shaking the Doctor's hand as he looked the man up and down, looking more than a little suspicious.

"Good evening. Hope we're not interrupting. Jack Harkness," he greeted. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

"Really?" Rose asked, looking at Danielle amused. She blushed slightly, shifting on the spot.

"I had to tell him about both of you," she said pointedly, even though she'd barely mentioned Rose at all. Jack knew this and didn't say a word though. "You know? How we're Time Agents and everything."

"It's a real pleasure to meet you, Doctor," Jack greeted before winking at Rose. "You as well, doll. Fine job you've both down with this beauty of an apprentice."

"I told you to stop that," Danielle muttered, looking down at her shoes. Rose could barely contain her laugher. Jack had obviously been flirting with her quite a lot, and while she would normally have stepped in and helped her with her discomfort, they'd both been rather worried about her and she'd just been hanging out with some rather handsome American man. She deserved to squirm a little.

Jack didn't hang around, walking straight into the ward and leaving the three behind. The Doctor immediately turned to Danielle.

"Where've you been?" he demanded. "We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time to run off."

"Yes, I'd noticed that," she snapped back. "I was trying to help a kid. Sue me for being worried."

"You should have waited," he continued to scold. "Anything could have happened."

"It did," Rose said cheekily. "She managed to find herself a man."

Danielle flushed harder as the Doctor looked alarmed for the moment. "Who is he?" he asked.

"A con man, I think," Danielle explained. "I was walking in the street and then, suddenly, I was beamed up onto his ship. He started talking about Time Agents or sommat, so I just went along with it."

"Beamed you up?" Rose asked, suddenly even more intrigued. "You mean, proper alien tech?"

Danielle nodded. "I think he was just showing off, to be honest. He was all champagne and dancing until he realised that I wasn't the one who could help him…"

"Hang on, hang on," Rose declared, hands out in front of her. " _That's_ the bit you should have started on. Look at you! Danielle Song, picking up mysterious men from space."

"It wasn't like that," Danielle protested but the Doctor had heard enough. He could feel himself raging at the American man who had walked past him like he didn't have a care in the world. He normally would have been grateful someone had looked after one of his friends, but it sounded like he just wanted to take advantage of a girl out of her time.

"Did he say where he was from?" he all but snapped. Danielle frowned, shifting slightly. He seemed angry. Was it because she had disappeared? She hadn't meant to, she'd just wanted to save the kid from the bombs.

"Um, I think he's just from America," she explained. "But- But he said the thing we chased was a Chula war ship?"

With a nod, the Doctor spun on his heels and headed into the room. It didn't matter that the bomb was a Chula warship. It didn't matter there was a room of seemingly infectious dead people who weren't really dead. The man had beamed Danielle up from the street and had… had _flirted_ with her.

 _And she'd blushed!_

Well, it wasn't like he could blame her. This Jack was definitely younger than he was, and more good looking than he was, but _he_ was the one she'd been amazed at before. He was the one who was supposed to hold her attention…

He shook his head, slamming the door open and he disappeared through it as well.

Danielle looked up at Rose. "I didn't mean to make you worry," she said softly. "And I didn't mean to make him mad."

Rose chucked her arm around her shoulders. "He's not mad _at_ you," Rose replied. "He's mad _about_ you. Honestly, he was ready to give up looking into this bomb just to find you." Danielle really didn't believe her and told her so. "Fine, don't believe me. We have more to worry about anyway."

She led Danielle into the ward, where Jack was already looking over one of the patients, his weird bracelet beeping as he seemed to scan it. He looked up briefly and winked at Danielle. "Everything alright, Danni?" he asked.

"Stop it," she replied shortly, like she'd had to tell him to stop quite a look. The Doctor crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Examine another one," he snapped and Jack nudged him on the way past.

"Don't worry, Doctor. She's all yours," he promised. He scanned another body and a frown appeared on his face.

"That's not possible," he declared, moving onto another patient.

Danielle looked to the Doctor. "What's wrong with them?" she asked him.

"They've all got the same injuries. It spread through touch," he explained lowly. She walked over to one of the beds, looking the person over. She didn't have fancy tech to check them out like Jack did, or a sonic screwdriver like the Doctor did, but she could see that whoever she was looking at was seriously hurt.

"The kid I followed had a gasmask on as well," she commented before gasping, looking up. "You don't think… That's not going to happen to me as well, is it?!"

"We don't know," Rose reassured her kindly. "Only if you touched them."

"This just isn't possible!" Jack exclaimed, walking into the middle of the room before turning to the Doctor. "You said by touch? How did this happen?"

The Doctor had the overwhelming urge to not answer him to just be spiteful, but it was a childish thought that he had to quickly push away. He couldn't help but glance at Danielle, though, who had moved away from the patients. She looked a little sad and that annoyed him even more.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" he asked Jack, who immediately turned around.

"What?" he asked a little too quickly.

"A warship, apparently," Danielle spoke up. "He said he knew where it was but that we needed to pay him off before he'd tell us."

Her voice sounded snippy, like she was telling a teacher on him. The Doctor appreciated it. "What kind of warship?"

"Does it matter?" Jack retorted, which was a sure sign he was hiding something. "It's got nothing to do with this."

"This started at the bomb site. It's got everything to do with it," the Doctor said. "What kind of warship?"

"An ambulance!" Jack exclaimed in exasperation. He walked over to him, pressing a couple of buttons on his wrist device. A projection of the thing they'd chased appeared. "Look. That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle—" he glanced up with a smile, "-love the retro look, by the way, nice panels. Threw you the bait…" He waited for them to put the pieces together but while the Doctor's face darkened, the blonde looked confused. Danielle looked outraged. "I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk."

"I knew it," Danielle all but snarled. "You eyed me up and down until you realised I didn't have any money. Well, guess what? We're not bloody Time Agents. Your con failed!"

"That's what I am. I'm a con man!" he replied. "And I didn't see you turning me away, Danni-Girl."

"Yes I did!" she exclaimed. "I was trying to be nice!"

Jack chuckled. "The universe eats nice gals alive, doll," he told her. "Whatever's happening here had got _nothing_ to do with that ship!"

Danielle couldn't look at him, turning away to walk to one of the bed. She didn't fancy him. She could appreciate a good-looking man, but it was rare that they ever caught her attention like the Doctor had. But he'd flirted with her. Offered her booze and danced with her. She knew that she never offered anyone a second glance, but it still hurt when they faked one towards her.

"What _is_ happening here, Doctor?" Rose asked the Time Lord.

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot," the Doctor explained. "Some kind of virus converting human beings into these things. But why? What's the point?"

Danielle screamed as the patients all sat up, springing into life. " _Mummy. Mummy. Mummy?_ "

Jack was the nearest to her and, as if he couldn't help himself, he jumped forward and grabbed her arm. He yanked her back and away from the beds and towards the group.

She really didn't want to smile, but she just couldn't help it. The patients all climbed out of bed, moving towards them, a threat to all of their safety. One touch would turn them all into gasmask wearing zombies calling out for their mothers.

But all she could think was that Jack had tried to save her. This man, who put up this flirty facade, couldn't help the instinct to help someone in need. Perhaps he wasn't as sleazy as she'd first thought.

"What's happening?" Rose asked as they all backed slowly towards the doorway.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied. "Don't let them touch you."

"That's the idea, yeah," Danielle replied, twisting her arm so that she could take Jack's hand. He seemed a little surprise, but she barely noticed. She was just terrified of the mass of zombies advancing towards them. It really was like something out of a horror movie and she'd never done well with those.

The Doctor noticed, though. He noticed and his blood boiled and the jealousy that hit him made absolutely no sense. But he knew he needed to break them apart before the con man hurt her again.

So he did the first thing that came to mind. He stepped forward, his eyebrows furrowed, an angry look on his face. This child was looking for his mother. He couldn't give them that, but he could be a father any day.

"Go to your room," he told them in his best angry voice. The advancing immediately stopped. "Go to your room," he repeated. In unison all their heads tilted to the side like a sad child who was being told off. "I mean it. I'm very, very angry with you. I'm very, very cross." The people didn't move, but they didn't continue their advance either. " _Go to your room!"_

He pointed upwards, as if he was sending them upstairs. And, to everyone's surprise including his own, they all slowly turned around and headed back to bed.

The Doctor stepped back into the group. "I'm really glad that worked," he said, looking to Danielle. She had a grin on her face, looking at him in absolute happy wonder. That was more like it. "Those would have been terrible last words."

She giggled, nodding as she let go of Jack. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed. "You have to show me how to do that sometime!"

The Doctor met Jack's gaze for a moment and couldn't keep the smugness off his face. He held none of the red-head's attention, and that was just how the Doctor wanted it.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _I'm so sorry about the gap between the chapters. I hadn't realised it had been so long. All I can do is promise try and be better._

 _Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter xxx_


	14. The Doctor Dances Part 1

Danielle didn't want to sit near Jack, but all of the other chairs were near the patients and she didn't really want to sit by them either. The fact that whatever had infected them spread through touch, though, made it a very easy choice and she found herself sat by a very confident Jack in the middle of the room.

He chucked his feet up onto the table in front of them, leaning back in his chair. "You do have an exciting life, don't ya Danni-Girl?"

"Don't call me that," she grumbled slightly. "My name's Danielle."

"For everyone else, yeah," he teased in reply. Her cheeks seemed to be in a continuous state of warmth, but it wasn't because she was flattered. She knew that she should have been fully focused on what was happening around them, but she still felt incredibly slighted by his fake flirting.

The Doctor crossed his arms, feeling rather annoyed at everything. He still didn't understand what had happened to the child and the rest of the patients, and he _really_ didn't appreciate the way that Jack was looking over at Danielle. Or the way that she seemed to be sitting rather close to him. "How was your con supposed to work?" he asked shortly.

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, name a price," Jack explained. "When he's put fifty percent up front, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for, never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con."

Danielle snorted. "Some perfect," she said snidely.

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners," Jack explained, as if he was describing vacations spots. "Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day." He laughed slightly before looking around at the group. No one seemed to be particularly pleased with his joke. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your harmless piece of space-junk did," the Doctor said, trying to keep his anger in check.

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter. It was empty," Jack retorted defensively.

The Doctor just glared at him before turning around. "Danielle! Rose!" he called to his two friends, storming out of the room.

Rose was quick to follow. "Are we getting out of here?" she asked him.

"We're going upstairs," the Doctor replied as he turned around the corner.

Danielle didn't follow straight away and Jack really seemed to be happy that she wasn't moving. "You believe me, don't you Danni-Girl?"

Danielle tilted her head to the side, looking him over. She didn't want to believe him at all, but he seemed genuinely convinced of his argument. Then again he was a conman, and she had been pretty convinced he was flirting with her despite that fact he wasn't attracted to her at all.

"I think you thought it was empty," she replied slowly. "But it obviously wasn't and you're trying to shift the blame onto someone else." She stood up. "The Doctor is trying to clean up your mess, you could be a little more grateful about it."

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living. I harmed no-one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it," Jack insisted.

"And you genuinely believe that," Danielle countered. "But look around you. How can you deny _anything_ has happened?"

"I'm not denying that," he countered. "It's _nothing_ to do with me."

She pulled an incredulous look, nose wrinkling in distain. "You know, I know you flirted with me just to get some information on a seller. I get that, it's the kind of man you are. But saving your own skin over all these people, over all the children here, is just low." She turned away from him. "I'm going after the Doctor, and he'll find a way to fix all this. He'll stop anyone else getting hurt because that's what he does."

Jack was pretty stunned as she walked out after the other man. Not because she had practically shouted at him; she was shy but it was always the quiet ones who had the most passion. But because he actually felt like he cared. Jack Harkness had cared about very little in quite a while, apart from conning Time Agents until he found a way to get his memories back, but for some reason he could feel it starting to bubble up inside of him.

Of _course_ he cared about other people. He didn't want anyone to die, he just didn't like to be blamed for stuff that wasn't his fault. For some reason it felt _very_ important that he convinced her of this. He wasn't sure why, but it was what got him out of the chair and following her.

 _~0~0~0~_

The Doctor had paused the moment he'd realised Danielle wasn't following him. He crossed his arms over his chest, feeling increasingly more agitated as Rose watched on with a strange, amused smile on her face.

"What?" he asked.

She just shook her head. "If you don't see it then I can't show you," she had replied, which meant absolutely nothing to the Doctor and just agitated him even more.

He was seriously considering taking Rose home – he didn't have time for cryptic companions, that was _his_ job – when Danielle finally caught up with them. She didn't look pleased and he definitely thought it was because of the strangeness of the trip, not because of Jack Harkness who deserved her ire completely.

"What took you so long?" he asked her.

"Not all of us had long legs like you," she countered. She could hear Jack's footsteps behind her, but they were overshadowed by the sound of another siren going off. It surprised her and she reached out, grabbing hold of the Doctor's arm.

"What's that?" she and Rose asked in tandem.

"The all clear," Jack reassured her. The Doctor shot him a look, as if he was disappointed he was being that naïve.

"I wish," he murmured. He grabbed Danielle's hand, making sure she stayed right behind him this time instead of following pretty American captains about. He led her up a couple of flights of stairs, losing both Jack and Rose for a moment.

He spotted the heavy metal door that indicated exactly where he wanted to go. It was locked, obviously, and he could have easily unlocked it with his screwdriver. In fact, Danielle pointed that out.

"I know," he replied. "Let's find out what your new friend can actually do." He left her stood in front of the door, baffled at why he seemed so offended by Jack. He dipped his head over the banister of the stairs they'd just run up, spotting the pair. "Do you have a blaster?" he called down to Jack.

"Sure!" Jack replied, confused. The pair were quickly up at door with Danielle and the Doctor.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt," the Doctor explained. "This was where they were taken."

Danielle frowned. "Into a steel-barricaded room?" she asked. The Doctor nodded.

"We're going to find out why," he said before motioning to the door. "Get it open."

Jack grinned, pulling out his sonic blaster and pointing it at the door. The Doctor watched him closely, almost willing it to not work. However, with a high-tech buzz, the blaster made the entire lock disappear. It left a square hole in the door, but there was no sign the lock had ever been there in the first place.

The Doctor had to admit that he was a little impressed. And he liked a good bit of tech. "Sonic blaster, fifty first century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?" he asked Jack.

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked as the Doctor took it off him, turning it over in his hands.

"Once."

"Well, they gone now, destroyed," Jack said. "The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot."

The Doctor looked back up at him. "Like I said. Once," he replied before handing the blaster back. "There's a banana grove there, now," he told the trio, a happy smile on his face. "I like bananas. Bananas are good."

Danielle wrinkled her nose. "We've been through this," she replied. "Bananas are gross. The only use for them in banana bread." She glanced up at Jack as she walked into the room after the Doctor. "That blaster's pretty cool," she admitted begrudgingly.

Jack took it, though, with a smile. Rose suddenly felt like she was being left out of something, and she wasn't particularly fond of it. The Doctor and Danielle were bad enough – pretending that they weren't being all coy and showing off to each other – but Jack watched the red-head go into the next room like he was looking for her approval.

"Nice blast pattern," she spoke up.

"Digital," Jack replied as if that explained everything.

"Squareness gun?" she replied and he nodded. "I like it."

The smirk he sent her way let her know that she still had it, which was all she was wanting. She followed the other to inside.

The room was split in two, with a large glass window and a door keeping the side they'd walked into separate from the other side. The window was smashed, knocking the equipment that sat underneath it over.

Danielle was turning slowly, looking around at all the furniture and the filing cabinets whilst the Doctor walked over to a large tape recorder by the window.

"This is really grim," Danielle commented sadly. "It was a child, wasn't it?" Through the window she could see the drawings that were pinned all around the room. She'd heard the calls for 'mummy' from the patients. It was horrible.

"Whatever it was, it was powerful," Jack replied lowly. "Powerful and angry."

He and Rose stepped into the other side of the room, but Danielle didn't move from her place just by the door. The Doctor glanced behind him at her. She was realising just what her American friend had done.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned at the upset appearing on her face. She shook her head.

"Poor child," she whispered. He couldn't agree more. He reached over and pressed 'play' on the tape machine.

" _Do you know where you are?_ " Dr Constantine asked, sounding cold and clinical.

" _Are you my mummy?_ " a child replied.

" _Are you aware of what's around you? Can you see?_ "

" _Are you my mummy?_ "

Danielle felt herself tearing up. "That's a little boy," she said. "The-the bomb fell on a little boy?"

"Is that Nancy's brother?" Rose asked the Doctor. He met her gaze, looking solemn. "He always asks for him mummy. Why doesn't he know?"

The Doctor didn't reply, though. He started to pace around the room, a look of discomfort on his face as he tried to home in on what was wrong. Danielle sniffed, wiping her tears away. "What's-What's wrong?" she asked.

"Can you sense it?" the Doctor asked them all instead of replying. His voice rose and his pacing quickened.

" _Mummy?_ " the child continued to call.

"Sense what?" Jack asked.

"Coming out of the walls. Can you feel it?" He paused to look at the three confused humans in the room, all looking to him for an answer. "Funny little human brains. How do you get around in those things?" he asked, thoroughly amused by them.

Danielle's eyes narrowed. "Oi, Spaceman!" she said in warning.

"When he's stressed, he likes to insult species," Rose quickly explained. The Doctor didn't appreciate it but she ignored him. "He cuts himself shaving, he does half an hour on life forms he's cleverer than."

The Doctor stopped in his tracks. "There are these children living rough round the bomb sites. They come out during air-raids looking for food," he explained.

Danielle frowned, a flicking noise catching her attention. She slowly walked towards it, towards the Doctor who was deep in his own thoughts. He was working through what his mind was throwing to him, and she understood that, but as she peered over the ledge of the broken window to see the tape spinning, the end hitting the empty reel she knew that he needed to stop.

"Doctor?" she called.

"Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed?" the Doctor continued.

" _Mummy!_ " The voice sounded closer this time, less like it was coming through tin speakers but no one seemed to notice but her.

"Doctor!" she tried again.

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless," Jack insisted.

"Yes, you keep saying harmless," the Doctor dismissed. "Suppose one of them was affected, altered?"

"Altered how?" Rose asked. Danielle only glanced up at the Doctor for a moment, her attention was only drawn away for a moment, but it was enough.

" _I'm here!_ "

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid and powerful," the Doctor replied. "It doesn't know it yet, but it will do." He grinned, finding some grim humour in the situation. "It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to its room."

" _Doctor!"_ Danielle cried. He looked at her to see her looking back out into the room in terror. His first thought, one that startled him immensely, was to get her away from whatever was scaring her as fast as possible rather than finding out what it was. He wanted to grab her, pull her behind him and protect her and _then_ work out what the threat was, which felt like the wrong way.

He turned around and saw a little boy stood on the other side of the room, gasmask and shorts on. "This is its room," he finished.

He stepped back, towards Danielle who immediately reached out for him.

"What do we do?" she whispered. "He's scared, but I don't wanna be like him."

"Okay, on my signal make for the door," Jack whispered, reaching in for his gun. "Now!"

He pulled out what he thought was his gun and put it over the Doctor's shoulder. Instead what he held was a banana, which he could only stare at in surprise as the Doctor pulled out his blaster. Sharing a grin with Danielle, the Doctor pointed it at the wall and opened up a hole.

"Go now!" he commanded, still in charge. "Don't drop the banana!"

He practically shoved Danielle towards the hole and Rose quickly followed after her. "What is it with you and bananas?" the red-head asked.

"Good source of potassium!"

Jack grabbed the blaster when they got on the other side, sealing the hole back up. "Nice switch," he told the Doctor.

"It's from the groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate," he replied.

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?" he asked incredulously.

"Bananas are good," the Doctor said happily.

Danielle screamed as the wall cracked as the child tried to smash its way through the wall. The Doctor grabbed her hand. "Come on!"

None of them needed telling twice. They all ran down the hallway, away from the terrifying child, and straight towards a group of patients.

" _Mummy. Mummy. Mummy._ "

They turned, heading down another hallway just be confronted by another group of patients, all looking for their mummy like something out of a horror movie. The entire time they'd been in London felt like some strange horror movie.

They were soon cornered back where they'd run from, with the child beating its way through the wall in front of them and patients advancing on both sides. Danielle held onto the Doctor's hand tightly. She was going to die. She was going to die in World War 2 at the hands of a terrified yet powerful child, and her own mum would never know. She didn't want to die here. She didn't want to die yet.

The Doctor could feel her terror and it was fuelling his own panic. He needed to save them all and reassure her, but he had nothing. "It's keeping us here till it can get at us," he said, looking down both hallways as he tried to figure out _something_ he could do.

"It's controlling them?" Jack asked, trying to point his blaster down each hallway, also trying to work about the best way to attack.

"It _is_ them. It's every living thing in this hospital."

"Okay," Jack replied with a nod. "This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and as a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?"

The Doctor held up his screwdriver. "I've got a sonic…" He glanced at his faithful tool. He loved his sonic screwdriver, it had helped him out many times over the years and he was strangely attached to it, but it was no sonic blaster. There wasn't anything it could really do in an attack. It could get him out of anywhere, unlock almost any lock, but stopping a child with super strength and its own homemade army? "Oh, never mind."

Jack didn't take his eyes off the enemy. "What?"

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that," the Doctor snapped. The Captain was in a much better position to save them, even he had to admit that. He didn't want to admit, though, that he didn't want Danielle to see the screwdriver and think about how better Jack's weapon was. It was a little humiliating. It felt like contest he hadn't known he'd entered but he wanted to win anyway.

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?" Jack pressed. He needed to know what he had to hand. He needed all the facts to make the best call in their rather desperate situation.

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am soniced up!"

"A sonic what?!"

The Doctor turned around, holding his screwdriver up in front of him. " _Screwdriver!"_

Before Jack could even look at him in disbelief, the child broke free and the patients began advancing. Danielle took a step closer to Doctor as he moved forward, holding the sonic screwdriver up like a sword. "What are we going to do?" she cried.

Rose didn't even really think about it. They'd gotten out of the room using the blaster, and as that was all they had of any use they had to use it again. Behind them was a window and a rather large drop, to their sides were the many patients trying to turn them into creatures like them and in front of them was the child. There was only one way to go.

She grabbed Jack's wrist, pointing it and the blaster down. "Going down!"

The Doctor didn't have much time to think either. He just turned as the floor disappeared from underneath them and pulled Danielle close as they fell through the ceiling of the floor below, landing in a heap.

He groaned heavily at the extra weight but didn't let her go, even when she shifted to stare down at him, eyes wide. She panted lightly as the adrenaline pumped through her and at the sudden, rather close proximity they were to each other. He was so close, looking back up at her with a look she didn't really understand.

"Thank-Thank you," she said quietly. Her mouth felt dry. She wanted to close the gap.

"Oh, we don't have time for this," Rose declared, grabbing Danielle by the arm and dragging her off the top of him. "We need lights."

The Doctor sat up slowly, watching her be dragged away by Rose, his own hearts pounding wildly. He hadn't thought about it. He'd just wanted to catch her, to make sure she didn't get hurt. He felt the same for Rose, of course, but not at that intensity. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to bring her along.

He jumped off the floor as Rose flicked the light switch, illuminating the patients who all sat up in their beds. " _Mummy. Mummy."_

Jack looked around for their exit, pointing to a set of double doors on the other side of the room. "Door." They all rushed towards it, Jack trying to open it with his blaster. It whirred to life, then quickly powered down. "Damn it!" Realising that it wasn't going to work, the Doctor took over. "It's the special features. They really drain the battery."

"The battery?" Rose echoed as the door opened and they rushed inside. The Doctor slammed the door shut behind them and quickly soniced it to lock it. "That's so lame," Rose continued.

"I was going to send for another one, but somebody's got to blow up the factory," Jack replied pointedly.

"Oh, I know. First day I met him, he blew my job up. That's practically how he communicates," Rose muttered in reply.

"He-He found me in the TARDIS," Danielle spoke up quietly. Of course, then she had met a Dalek. It might not have been an explosion, but it hadn't been the most pleasant of experiences. Overall, though, she was so happy that she'd stepped inside that blue box. She wouldn't trade the Doctor for the world. Even if all she could think about was closing that gap.

She played with her hands in front of her, looking at the ground as the Doctor backed away from the door. "Okay, that door should hold it for a bit."

"The door?" Jack exclaimed. "The wall didn't stop it!"

The Doctor looked at Danielle as he walked past. She was obviously concerned. "Well, it's got to find us first!" he pointed out. "Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!"

"Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves," Jack replied sardonically.

The Doctor ignored his attitude. It wasn't helping and he knew Danielle wouldn't appreciate it. In fact, she seemed to barely be paying attention at all. Jack had obviously upset her. "Window?" he asked, hopping up onto a spare table to look outside. If she saw him trying to get them out perhaps she would feel better.

"Barred," Jack retorted as he sat down in a wheelchair, reclining cockily. "Sheer drop outside. Seven stories."

Rose gave the room a glance around. "And no other exits."

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" Jack finished.

"Stop it," Danielle scolded, walking over to the chair and standing by it. The Doctor frowned angrily as she rested a hand on the back of the wheelchair.

"Did you have to bring him along?" he asked her.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Danielle replied. "He had me on his ship." Jack held a hand to his heart.

"Hurt, Danni-Girl. I'm actually wounded," he flirted. The Doctor rolled his eyes, trying to ignore Danielle's flushed face. It was always the pretty ones, wasn't it? What was it about humans and good looks?

"Okay," he started pointedly before they could flirt together any more in front of him. He looked back out of the window. "One, we've got to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

"Yeah," Rose spoke up and he looked at her expectantly. "Jack and Danielle just disappeared."

 _~0~0~0~_

"Woah, woah, I've got ya Red."

Danielle stumbled, grabbing onto the first thing she could reach. That happened to be Jack, who grinned a little too happily for her taste. She looked around. One minute she was stood in the dark storage room, watching the door with deep sense of foreboding that they were going to get turned into zombies. Next thing she knew she was…

Actually, she recognised where she was. Her fear disappeared and she pushed off Jack, glaring at him. "Take me back!" she demanded. "Right now!"

Jack sat down in his pilot chair. "I know you're worried…" he started.

"Of course I'm worried!" she cried. "We-We left them there! He's gonna… They're gonna…" She growled, frustrated at the way she couldn't form any words through her panic. "And you just beam us back up onto your bloody ship like it's no big deal!"

"Or thank you, as people say," Jack retorted. "I saved your life and, don't worry, the Doctor and Rose are next." He didn't look at her, instead continuing to type and press buttons on the console. Danielle crossed her arms but, also frustratingly, couldn't help but watch him work. It was really fascinating, all this futuristic tech. If she wasn't so mad at him she would have asked what he was doing.

"Rose? Doctor? Can you hear me?" Jack asked into his comms. "We're back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you, it's security-keyed to mine and Danni-Girl here's molecular structure." Danielle frowned as he continued to try and hack into his own ship. "I'm working on it. Hang in there."

" _Danielle's with you?_ " the Doctor asked, coming through all of the speakers. Danielle moved forwards, towards Jack, placing a hand on his chair, relief causing her to grin. Jack looked up at her and waved his hand, inviting her to talk.

"Y-Yeah, I'm here," she called out. "Are you okay?"

" _Fine. Trapped, but fine,"_ the Doctor replied and her hand moved to Jack's arm, squeezing it happily. He could have rolled his eyes. " _How're you speaking to us?_ "

"Om-Com," Jack explained. "I can call anything with a speaker grill."

" _Now there's a coincidence._ "

Jack frowned. "What is?"

" _The child can Om-Com too,_ " the Doctor replied. " _Anything with a speaker grill. Even the TARDIS phone._ "

" _What, you mean the child can phone us?_ " Rose replied, incredulous.

" _And I can hear you,_ " the child's voice called. Danielle jumped back from the console and Jack moved towards it, working faster. " _Coming to find you. Coming to find you._ "

"Doctor, can you hear that?" Jack asked.

" _Loud and clear._ "

"I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do," Jack replied. He then looked up at Danielle with a wolfish grin. "Remember this one, Danni-Girl?" he asked. With a flick of a switch _Moonlight Serenade_ began playing and Danielle's cheeks turned a deep red. "I thought you did."

" _Danni?_ " Rose asked and Danielle cleared her through.

"We-Er," she stuttered out, much to Jack's amusement. "It was just a dance!" she replied, embarrassed. "And it was only because you thought I had money." He just raised an eyebrow. "Oh, shut up and save them!"

Jack chuckled as he turned off their feed to the two down in the hospital, leaving the music playing to try and block the signal from the creepy child. Danielle turned away from him, in a huff, but he continued to work like she wasn't absolutely furious at him.

She couldn't help but glance at him, though, as he worked. She could tell he was a good man at heart, she just didn't understand why he wouldn't admit his mistake. They were going to fix it, that was what the Doctor did and Danielle had full faith in him.

"Jack?" she asked, shuffling slightly on the spot.

"What can I do for you, Red?" he asked, spinning his chair around slightly so he could continue working on opening up the teleport even more.

"Why is your teleport coded to my molecular structure?"

"I programmed it to mine a while ago. Sometimes you just need a quick escape. Cons go wrong, people get angry. One night stands can get a little clingy." He looked up just to see her blush at the thought. "I don't know why I added you. I guess, because, I saw something in you that suggested you might want have come along for the ride."

"I'm happy with the Doctor, thanks," Danielle replied a little shortly.

Jack chuckled. "So I can see," he replied. "I guess it was more wishful thinking. You have this spirit in you, one that doesn't just want to sit back and wait." He could tell he was almost finished and his typing increased. "Of course, that was before I realised that you weren't just Time Agents. Had I known what I was getting myself into, I wouldn't have thought myself that lucky to be the one to help you do that."

Danielle couldn't help but smile softly. "That's really sweet," she told him, sitting down on the floor next to his chair. "You're a good person, really, under all that bravado. You should let him out more. I like him better than the guy who tried to get me drunk to sleep with me."

Jack, for some reason, felt rather bad about trying that. He also felt rather happy that she thought he was a good person, even though he had never been looking for her approval. "Nah, he can be fun at times," he told her. "Plus there's still a blonde I could use him on."

She leant forward, smacking his arm as he laughed heartily. "Stop it!" she scolded. "None of that around me. I've told you already."

 _~0~0~0~_

"How did you meet them?" Jack asked. "The Doctor and Rose?"

"I grew up with Rose," Danielle explained, now sitting cross-legged as he worked. "I live in the same block of flats as her. She went missing for a year and, as it turns out, she was with the Doctor."

"He kidnapped her?" Jack asked, brows furrowed. "And that's the guy you want to travel with?"

"He didn't kidnap her," she defended. "He misaimed. Turns out his driving isn't fantastic." She shrugged. "I found his spaceship in the courtyard. I'd never seen anything like her before, so I went to have a nosy around. He invited me along. That's about it really," She leant forward slightly. "What are you doing?"

"Just the finishing touches," he replied. "A couple more little tweaks, a couple little holes to poke at and…" He grinned. "There!"

She grinned too, standing up off the floor. "You're a genius," she praised. "Let's get them here!"

"Gladly," Jack replied. He turned the communication back on, bridging the gap between the two groups.

" _Is this you dancing? Because I've got notes,_ " Rose declared as Jack reached forward to tell them all was well. Danielle's hand shot forward, catching his wrist. He turned his head and saw the look on her face; confused, hurt, sad.

"Just-Just a minute," she said softly.

" _She fell from a barrage balloon,_ " the Doctor replied, sounding bewildered. " _Not a cut, nor a bruise._ "

" _Her top was covered in blood, though,_ " Rose said before sighing audibly. " _Captain Jack probably fixed her up_."

" _Oh, we're calling him Captain Jack now, are we?_ "

" _Well,_ " Rose drawled. " _his name's Jack and he's a Captain._ "

" _He's not really a Captain, Rose._ "

" _Do you know what I think?_ " Rose asked. " _I think you're experiencing Captain envy. You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them._ " Her voice took on a teasing tone, but Danielle didn't find anything about it funny. She wasn't sure why she felt so hurt by it. She and the Doctor… Well, there wasn't any 'she and the Doctor'. She hadn't even known what the feeling she got around him was. But, well… there was always a blonde, wasn't there?

"They're dancing," she whispered softly.

"I'm sure they're just passing time," Jack reassured her. She tried so smile but she couldn't and he hated it. He wasn't sure why, but he grabbed her hand to give it a squeeze. Danielle's grip tightened as he flicked the switched and they appeared, still dancing, like they hadn't noticed.

"If ever he was a Captain, he's been defrocked," the Doctor snapped.

"Yeah? Shame I missed that."

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock," Jack declared and they both jumped apart like they had been burn. "Most people notice when they've been teleported," he commented. The Doctor looked over at him, starting slightly at the sight of the ship. Then, he realised that the ship didn't bother him at all. Danielle was holding onto his hand tightly, looking like she was upset. Something had happened.

"Sorry about the delay," Jack continued, turning the music off. "I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security."

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is," the Doctor retorted as he dipped his head, trying to meet Danielle's gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She couldn't help it. The concern on his face made her feel special for the brief moment before she'd looked over at Rose. Then she remembered them dancing, and the horrid feeling of being left to the side. She nodded. "I'm fine," she replied quietly.

The Doctor didn't believe her. Even when she had been worried during their other adventures she hadn't looked so sad. He didn't like it. He didn't know what to say, or what to do though. Humans being emotional wasn't exactly his area of expertise. He vowed to keep an eye on her, especially around the American 'Captain' who was now putting the nav-com online.

"This is a Chula ship," the Doctor said as he looked over the technology.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter," Jack confirmed. "Only this one is dangerous."

The Doctor snapped his fingers, testing a theory that had been building up in his head since the moment he'd realised that Danielle should have been more injured than she was. The blood on her clothes was disconcerting, but not worrying. He knew that somewhere in the fact that she was now fine was the answer he was looking for.

All around his hand a golden glow appeared, lots of tiny particles zooming all around his hand as they checked him over. Rose moved closer, looking amazed.

"What are they?" she asked.

"Nanogenes," Danielle spoke up. He looked over and saw an intrigue on her face that looked better than the sadness. If he could figure out what was going on, perhaps it would stay away. "They fixed me up when I fell onto the roof. They're pretty amazing."

"Sub-atomic robots," the Doctor explained, a little put out that she already knew what they were. "There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed. All better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws." With a flick of his hand, they disappeared into the air and Danielle almost looked disappointed. Once everything was back to normal – well, normal in a war-torn London anyway - he'd show her what the TARDIS medical bay could do. "Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk."

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online," Jack replied. "Make yourself comfortable. Danni-Girl, with me." He turned back to the console, giving Danielle a reason to turn away from what had obviously upset her. "Carry on with whatever it was you were doing."

"We were talking about dancing," the Doctor defended.

"It didn't look like talking," Danielle muttered. Rose couldn't help but smile. She was jealous.

"It didn't feel like dancing," she countered.

Danielle swallowed heavily, looking at what Jack was doing and trying her hardest not to look at how flustered the Doctor looked, or how smug Rose looked. She tried to not focus on the pit in her stomach as she realised that Rose had been right. The Doctor hadn't just caught her attention, he'd firmly forced himself into her head and she'd not noticed.

Rose walked over to Jack, looking him up and down. He was much more her type anyway. "So, you used to be a Time Agent, now you're trying to con them?" she asked, trying to show the interest.

"If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money," he explained as he worked away. "Danni-Girl, hold that for me." Danielle pressed her finger down on the button he'd pointed to.

"Then why?" she asked.

"Woke up one day when I was still working for them, found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back."

Danielle blinked. "They did what?" she asked and Jack couldn't help but smirk slightly as that red-headed anger bubbled up again. "How can they just do that? That's-That's bloody awful!"

Jack couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Two years of my life. No idea what I did." He nodded towards the Doctor. "Your friend over there doesn't trust me, and for all I know he's right not to." He finished what he was doing. "Alright, you can let go now," he instructed and she did. "We're good to go. Crash site?"

 _~0~0~0~_

 _I have no excuses. I don't even know if any of you are still reading, but I'm going to try and be better._


	15. The Doctor Dances Part 2

The train station they landed in was heavily guarded, surrounded by torches and barbed wire. It was lucky that they'd come in Jack's ship otherwise Danielle was sure they'd been spotted on sight. She still wasn't quite used to getting into places as easily as the Doctor made it seem and so she still couldn't help but feel like a little kid, checking every direction she could see to make sure she didn't get caught and told off.

By the bomb were a couple of guards and they headed behind some supplies to get a better look.

"There it is," Jack said before grinning slightly at the sight of one of the guards. "Hey, they've got Algy on duty. It must be important."

"We've got to get past him," the Doctor replied.

"Are the words distract the guard heading in my general direction?" Rose asked, straightening herself. She'd always liked a good flirt, why not put that to good use?

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea," Jack replied knowingly.

Rose, on the other hand, felt slightly affronted. "Don't worry I can handle it."

"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me," he looked Rose up and down, "you're not his type." He gave Danielle a little tap under the chin. "I'll distract him," he told them, walking off. "Don't wait up."

Rose watched, amazed as he headed to see his friend. Was he… What were the chances?!

"Relax," the Doctor told her, seeing her slightly annoyance. "He's a fifty first century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing."

"How flexible?" Rose asked.

"Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy," the Doctor explained.

"Meaning?"

The Doctor couldn't help but smile happily. "So many species, so little time," he replied suggestively.

"What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission?" Rose countered. "We seek new life, and, and…"

" _Dance._ "

Danielle watched him approach Algy, looking rather pleased with himself. He had quite the swagger on him. Was that how he'd looked when he'd first beamed her up onto his ship?

"That's pretty cool," she whispered.

"Is it?" Rose replied with a little wrinkle of her nose. "Anyway, I thought you didn't like _dancing_."

"I never said I didn't like it," Danielle replied, flushing slightly. "I can take an interest, anyway. I'm just surprised we're all compatible."

"Well, the human race is very flexible in that regard too," the Doctor replied. "No legs, too many legs. Arms, feet, it's all the same to you lot."

Danielle turned back to look at Jack. "Huh, how interesting," she commented. Rose had to resist the urge to throw up her hands in exasperation.

"You two are just as bad as each other," she scolded.

The Doctor was going to reply with something witty and charming but Danielle moved, standing on the tips of her toes so she could see better over their cover. "Something's happening," she commented lowly.

The man, Algy, dropped to his knees in front of Jack, looking like he was retching painfully. He hunched over for a moment, then his head shot backwards and his face began to transform. A large, circular metal plate came out of his mouth and formed into the mouthpiece of a gasmask.

More soldiers rushed from in the shadows, rushing towards their fallen comrade and the Doctor sprang into action. "Stay back!" he commanded as Algy fell to the floor.

Jack joined in, holding his hand out. "You men, stay away!" he added and the soldiers obeyed immediately. The Doctor, Danielle and Rose were quick to his side, looking over the newly-transformed man.

"That's horrible," Danielle whispered.

"The effect's become air-borne, accelerating," the Doctor said. The air raid sirens started up again and they all glanced upwards for a moment.

"What's keeping us safe?" Rose asked over the alarm.

"Nothing."

"Ah, here they come again," Jack commented, taking another look at the sky.

"All we need," Rose muttered as Danielle frowned to herself. Over the noise she could hear something, something no one else seemed to have noticed. She turned around and took a look at the building behind them. It was something in there.

Rose turned to Jack. "Didn't you say a bomb was going to land here?" she pointed out.

"Never mind about that," the Doctor brushed off. "If the contaminants airborne now, there's hours left."

"For what?" Jack asked.

"Till nothing, forever," the Doctor clarified as the sound of someone singing reached his ears. "For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?"

Rose and Jack frowned. Once they focused they could hear it too. The sound of someone singing a lullaby.

The Doctor looked for the source and started when he saw Danielle already heading into building where the noise was coming from. "Danielle!"

Danielle peaked around the corner and quickly spotted the two figures. One was a woman with pigtails, another was a man who looked like he'd been hit with the same virus as everyone else. He was sleeping on the table in the middle of the room, his gasmask in full view. It really was grotesque. She knew enough that when the woman looked around at her, stopping singing, she motioned for her to continue. She dipped her head back out just as the Doctor appeared at her side.

"Why do you keep running off?" he asked her quietly. "You're the good one."

"I am the good one," Danielle retorted, offended. "I just wanted to see what the singing was. She seems alright, but there's another one of them in there with her."

The Doctor took a look in and saw Nancy at the table. The woman shook her wrist, showing him that she was attached to the table with a pair of handcuffs. He rushed in, quickly unlocked them and brought her out.

"Nancy!" Rose exclaimed. Danielle looked at her.

"Oh! The little boy's sister?" she asked. Nancy nodded. "I'm Danielle."

"He was lookin' for you," Nancy told her with a cheeky grin. "Real concerned."

Danielle glanced up at the Doctor, also grinning cheekily. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, come on," he said, a little sharper than he'd intended. "There is a war on." He strode forward and they all followed him to the empty ambulance that Jack had dropped on London.

"You see? Just an ambulance," he declared, waving his hand at the large metal cylinder that had half-buried itself into the ground.

"That's an ambulance?" Nancy replied in disbelief, staring at the bomb that had hurt her brother.

"It's hard to explain," Rose replied. "It's from another world."

Jack and the Doctor quickly examined the ambulance. "They've been trying to get in."

"Of course they have," the Doctor retorted. "They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon." Jack started typing on the keypad that was attached to the front of the ambulance. "What're you doing?"

"The sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll know I had nothing to do with it," Jack replied just as the keypad exploded with a large bang. It sparked and the two men jumped back as it started to sound an alarm.

"Didn't happen last time," Jack told him to let everyone know he hadn't done anything wrong.

"It hadn't crashed last time. There'll be emergency protocols," the Doctor explained.

"Is that an alarm?" Danielle asked the Doctor. "What's it alerting?"

Rose yelped in surprise as the soldiers who had all been turned into the new creatures began battering the door of the storage shed, trying to get out. " _Doctor_!"

"Captain, secure those gates!" he instructed, climbing onto the ambulance.

"Why?"

"Just do it!" the Doctor snapped. Jack did as he said, rushing over to secure them so no one else could get in. "Nancy, how'd you get in here?"

"I cut the wire."

"Show Rose." He chucked the sonic screwdriver at the blonde, who was so taken by surprise she almost dropped it. "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty-eight D."

"What?" she asked.

"Reattaches barbed wire. Go!" The pair ran off and Danielle took a step closer. If it had been any normal situation she would have felt rather rejected for being picked last. But, as it was rather serious and just a _little_ bit terrifying, she was happy to stay with the Doctor.

"What can I do?" she asked him.

"See if there are any other control pads," he instructed. She nodded her head, climbing up onto the pile of dirt that held the ambulance in place.

"Do you think we can make it?" she asked as the Doctor tried to stop the alarm from sounding. Even with his screwdriver, though, he wasn't sure he could do anything that wouldn't make the situation a lot worse.

He paused for a moment, though, to look up at her. "Didn't I tell you to have faith in me?" he asked. She nodded.

"You did. Sorry. I do. You know I do," she slowly walked around to the other side, "it's just… well, the human race is being turned into little children with gasmasks for faces. It's hard to not be a little pessimistic."

"Not me," Jack said, jumping up next to the Doctor. "Glass is always half full. Life's much more fun that way."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you Captain?" the Doctor retorted much to Jack's amusement. "Help me get this open."

Jack took over and popped the lid as Rose and Nancy returned, waving his hand at the empty capsule. "It's empty. Look at it," he declared triumphantly.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops?" the Doctor countered pointedly.

Danielle blinked, the dots joining together in her head at the words. "Nanogenes," she breathed. "It was full of nanogenes, wasn't it?"

The Doctor nodded, his arms folded across his chest. "It wasn't empty, Captain. There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."

"Oh, God," Jack breathed, stumbling slightly as the weight of the situation seemed to suddenly hit him. He _had_ been responsible. He should have known better but he was too smug, too determined to get his revenge for his memories being taken.

"Getting it now, are we?" the Doctor asked in a little taunt. "When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night, and wearing a gasmask."

"And they brought him back to life?" Rose asked, her nose wrinkling up at the thought. "They can do that?"

"What's life?" the Doctor retorted. "Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene."

"But they're supposed to heal you. Why would they bring him back to life but keep him so hurt?" Danielle asked.

"These nanogenes, they're not like the ones on the Captain's ship," he explained. "This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do. They patch it up. Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done. Because, you see, now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is going to be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it!"

"I didn't know," Jack insisted. The Doctor continued to glare at him for a moment before heading around the back of the ambulance, hoping for another miracle. His life seemed to be full of them lately, perhaps he could conjure one more before his luck ran out.

Jack walked off to the side, completely shaken by the revelation. While Rose went to watch the Doctor work, Danielle followed the Captain. "It's okay, you know?" she said to him softly.

"I've doomed the entire human race," Jack retorted. "I don't think it is, Red."

She reached out, hesitating for a moment, and took his hand. "You didn't know," she reminded him. "You didn't want to harm anyone. It was a mistake, but you didn't mean to do this."

He looked at her and she could see the pain on his face. She smiled at him softly. "It'll be okay, sweetie," she told him gently.

"Rose!" Nancy called. They all looked over and saw a mass of gas mask wearing people heading towards them, all crying out for their mummy. Rose rushed back over to the Doctor's side, ready to ask him what was happening when she saw the flashing light of the alarm on the ambulance.

"It's bringing the gas mask people here, isn't it?"

"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol," he explained as he fiddled with the wires, trying to at least turn the alarm off.

"But the gas mask people aren't troops."

"They are now," the Doctor corrected. "This is a battle-field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you."

"That's why the child's so strong," Rose realised. "Why it could do that phoning thing."

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four-year-old looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them."

"What do we do?" Danielle asked him. She looked out at the surrounding people, all who were of different genders and ages but all calling out for the same person. It was terrifying. "That's just a scared little boy looking for his mummy. Do we have to find his mother? Do we have to find _all_ of their mothers? And when?"

"Why don't they attack?" Jack asked.

"Good little soldiers, waiting for their commander," the Doctor explained.

"The child?"

Nancy looked up at him, looking offended. "Jamie."

He frowned. "What?"

"Not the child. Jamie," she corrected firmly. Danielle could understand the annoyance. She was glad that she knew his name, now, as well. No little boy should have to be so dehumanised that they're referred to only as 'the child'. And that was her brother as well. Nancy had been chased around the whole of London by her brother who was just looking for their mother.

She frowned to herself as Nancy started crying. Where was their mother? Why wasn't Jamie going after her? Was she dead. There was a war going on, after all. It was a tragedy but entirely possible, especially considering Nancy was living rough.

"Oh," she whispered to herself. She took a few steps forward, away from Jack and towards Nancy. "You're his mummy," she stated rather than asked. The Doctor, Rose and Jack looked at her, confused but Nancy kept crying. "That's why he keeps following you. That's why they're all looking for you. You're his mummy."

The Doctor looked around, at all of the people looking for their mummy and realised that she was right. Siblings could be close, but with Nancy it seemed like something more. How had he not noticed that? He was supposed to be the clever one. Although, that wasn't to say Danielle _wasn't_ clever. He thought she was rather clever, actually. He knew he was normally better at spotting those things, though.

He had been rather distracted this adventure. He wasn't sure why.

"Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds," Jack reminded him urgently. The Doctor glanced over at the other man. Actually, he _did_ know, he just didn't want to say.

"You can teleport us out," Rose suggested.

"Just Danielle," he replied. "Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Going to take too long to override the protocols."

"So it's volcano day," the Doctor remarked pointedly. "Do what you've got to do."

Danielle looked back at the Captain. "Jack?" she whispered. He looked so torn, but he held up his small device and he disappeared. "Jack?"

She sounded heartbroken at the fact he'd left them, and it actually felt painful for the Doctor because he didn't have time to help her. He didn't have time to correct her about what was happening. He knew the Captain wasn't good enough for her and he didn't deserve her upset.

The Doctor kept his attention on Nancy, knowing that the problem of the bomb was now taken care of. "How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway. He's not your brother, is he? A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied. You even lied to him." She nodded as the gates opened and Jamie appeared with an army of gasmask people.

" _Are you my mummy_?" he asked.

"He's going to keep asking, Nancy. He's never going to stop," the Doctor continued. "Tell him. Nancy, the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust me and tell him."

Nancy did trust him. She walked over to the boy who thought he was her little brother. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I am your mummy." She crouched down in front of him. "I'm here. I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry." She pulled him in for a hug. A moment later they were surrounded in a cloud of golden nanogenes. It was absolutely stunning.

"Are they…" Danielle asked, unable to tear her eyes away. The Doctor shushed her gently.

"Come on, please. Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's got to be enough information. Figure it out," he begged.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

Something miraculous was happening, that was what. Danielle could only stare, eyes widen and breath held until the gold dust disappeared and Jamie let go of his mother.

The Doctor couldn't help but grab hold of Danielle's hand, pulling her over with Rose tailing them. He kept his attention on Jamie. "Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one." With a quick pull, like a band aid, the Doctor removed the boys mask. Underneath he was blonde, and young, and a little confused but he was a whole human boy once again.

The Doctor scooped him up in his arms, cheering with delight. "Welcome back!" he cried. "Twenty years 'til pop music – you're going to love it." He glanced down at Danielle to see her eyes shining and the smile on her face. She was just as ecstatic as he was. That all she wanted was for that little boy to be okay and now he was it lit up her entire soul.

"What happened?" Nancy asked

"The nanogenes recognised the superior information, the parent DNA. They didn't change you because you changed them!" the Doctor crowed before he put down the little boy. "Ha-ha! Mother knows best!"

"Oh, Jamie." Nancy pulled her son in for a hug as the sound of something fast approaching filled their ears.

"Doctor, that bomb," Rose pointed out nervously.

"Taken care of it," he replied knowingly. Above them the large, ominous shape of a bomb appeared in the darkness, covering them all in a dark shadow. Then, just before it got too close, a large light beam surrounded it. It froze in mid-air and Jack appeared on top, sat on it like something out of a movie.

"Jack!" Danielle cried happily. She knew there was something good in him. He hadn't run. He was just trying to help.

"Good lad!" the Doctor praised despite himself.

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long," he explained, shouting over the roar of the transporter beam.

"Change of plan. Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?" the Doctor asked in reply. He nodded.

"Danni-Girl?" he cried and Danielle took a step forward.

"Yeah?" she called back.

"Goodbye." She frowned as he disappeared from view. Why was he saying goodbye? Was he not coming back?

The he reappeared. "By the way," he continued. "I've always loved red-heads more."

And he was gone again. Rose couldn't help but laugh slightly at the absolutely stunned look on Danielle's face. The pair watched his spaceship fly away as the Doctor glared after him. Did he really have to tack on that little bit on the end? Danielle was so happy knowing the little boy was safe and sound and the Captain had to throw her off by flirting. The Doctor didn't like it.

He looked down at his hands, his big and amazing brain quickly filling in the gaps. He could fix all of this. Danielle would be much more stunned at that than the words of an American captain.

He stepped forwards, around Jamie and Nancy. His grin grew and grew until the golden dust of the nanogenes reappeared in the air, swarming around his hands.

Danielle and Rose shared a look. "What are you doing?" Rose asked.

"Software patch. Going to email the upgrade," he replied, still grinning from ear to ear. "You want moves, Rose? I'll give you moves."

And he shot his hands out in front of him, sending the nanogenes towards the masked people to revert the damage they'd inadvertently done. It was the best outcome anyone could have hoped for, and yet as the Doctor laughed in delight and Rose watched the nanogenes do their job, Danielle couldn't help but feel her happiness faulter. Why had the Doctor danced with Rose? Why had Rose, who had asked her if she liked the Doctor, danced with him the moment she wasn't there? She had so many questions and she hated that it was tainting such a joyous time. She had no reason to be upset or angry, but there it sat, heavy in her mind, a little question just prodding at her every moment it could.

She glanced up at the sky, trying to clear her mind of it. Why had Jack said goodbye?

 _~0~0~0~_

The Doctor was on such a high that he couldn't help but talk fast and often, explaining that the nanogenes were going to fix everyone then turn themselves off. He was beaming, overflowing with excitement and a giddiness he hadn't felt in such a long time. He missed feeling like he was winning. He'd missed just being the good guy.

"Look at you," Rose teased as they entered the TARDIS. "Beaming away like you're Father Christmas."

He turned to her. "Who says I'm not?" he asked. The rest of his words fell away as he saw the TARDIS door shut behind her. "Where's Danielle?"

Rose turned. The other woman had been behind her as they'd approached the TARDIS so there was no reason for her not to have followed. "I don't know."

The Doctor quickly jogged to the door, opening it up with assumption that he was going to have to go looking for her. A million, rather scary, thoughts about what had happened to her as he rushed out. Luckily he didn't have to look far. She was stood outside, looking up at the sky, worrying her bottom lip.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "I almost flew off without you."

"You wouldn't leave me behind," she replied without her usual cheeky bite. "I was waiting for Jack. I didn't want to go without saying goodbye properly."

The Doctor's own happiness fell slightly. "It might just be better to go anyway," he offered. He didn't want to have to break the news to her. "He's a busy man."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, looking up at him. "What are you hiding?" she asked. "Why did Jack say goodbye?"

He glanced over his shoulder. Rose might have been better to break the news to her. He didn't want to be the one to upset her. Then again, did he really want anyone else to break it to her?

"You see," he started, fumbling slightly. "He put the bomb in a stasis field. Those decay at an alarming rate and…"

She gasped, absolutely horrified. "Is he going to die?" she cried. "We have to save him! We can't let him just die."

She was looking at him expectantly, like he had all of the answers and he really wasn't convinced he did. "He knew what he was getting into," the Doctor reasoned.

"So?" she retorted. "What happened to ' _Just this once, everybody lives'_?" He shifted slightly under her accusatory gaze. "I know he's a conman, and flirts too much for anyone's liking, but he's still a person! He never meant to hurt anyone! We can't just let him die!" Suddenly her anger fell away. "Please," she beseeched, her eyes shining. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

He felt terrible. She was right. Just because Jack had chosen to die didn't mean that he had to. The Doctor looked at her devastated face and knew that, no matter how the man's flirty nature bothered him, he couldn't just let him blow up. And it wasn't as if he didn't have means to save him relatively easily.

He pulled an offended face. "Me? I can do anything," he told her. "I'm fantastic." Danielle's face broke out into a beam and the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Fine, come on then. Let's go save us a Captain."

Danielle dashed through the doors before him, almost skipping in her happiness. She knew the Doctor was a better man than that. He _was_ fantastic and he had a beautiful heart – well, _hearts_ – but she also knew that sometimes he needed a bit of a nudge. She'd seen that first hand with the Dalek. Neither she nor Rose were afraid to take that mantle on when it was needed.

"What's going on?" Rose asked as the Doctor strode purposefully to the console.

"I'll tell you what's going on," the Doctor declared. He was incredibly purposeful in his movements, almost showing off to his audience, but in reality it was to just one person. "Just this once _everybody lives_."

 _~0~0~0~_

Jack was going to die. He was going to die.

It was with a startling feeling of calmness that he came to the realisation. He would have thought that he would have been angry, or terrified. He hadn't managed to get his memories back from the Time Agency. He'd never settled down, or extended his family. He'd never visited all of the planetary systems he'd planned on going to. All in all, Jack still had a lot to do.

But instead of wishing for more time, he just felt rather good that his lack act was one of heroism. He'd pulled himself out of the depths of his conman ways to actually make a different, to save lives. It was why he'd wanted to be part of the Time Agency in the first place. To make a difference. Now he'd finally done that.

"Okay then," he started. "I think we'd better initiate emergency protocol 417." The onboard computer did what he asked. From nowhere his martini appeared, complete with olive. He smiled slightly. Technology was still pretty amazing.

He reached out and grabbed it, taking a little sip and wincing at the burn from the liquid. "Oo, a little too much vermouth." He looked at the console. "See if I come here again," he scolded before having a little chuckle to himself. He was telling off a machine for a drink _he'd_ programmed in just before it, and he, exploded. Life was a little funny like that.

Speaking of funny things.

He leant back in his chair. "Funny thing. Last time I was sentenced to death, I ordered four hyper-vodkas for my breakfast. All a bit of a blur after that." He grinned, taking the olive out of the drink and biting it off the toothpick. "Woke up in bed with _both_ my executioners. Lovely couple. They stayed in touch. Can't say that about most executioners." He chuckled to himself again, shaking his head. Always go out on a joke. "Anyway. Thanks for everything, computer. It's been great." He raised his glass but paused before taking a sip.

He looked upwards. "For you, Danni-Girl," he stated. "Thanks for getting me on track."

He didn't know why he'd felt so affected by the red-head, but she'd managed to get into his head. She called him out, which people had done in the past, but it was because she seemed to know he was a better person than he was acting, even when he hadn't been sure of it himself. Ultimately, he was about to be blown up because of how she'd changed how he thought and he couldn't be more grateful.

"Oh, I've got a lot more work before you're back on track," a voice said and he spun in his chair, absolutely bewildered. "But I'll get there."

He blinked, amazed to see Danielle in what appeared to be a doorway that had someone magically appeared at the back of the small ship. _Moonlight Serenade_ played behind her and he could see Rose and the Doctor attempting to dance again.

He looked back at Danielle, who looked thoroughly amused. "You should see the look on your face," she teased. "Come on, that bomb's about to blow."

Jack didn't need telling twice. He still wasn't completely convinced he was still alive, but he shot out of his chair and dove though the doors. Danielle closed them behind him and beamed at him. "Welcome to the TARDIS," she told him. "She's magnificent."

Jack just looked around at the gigantic room he entered, turning around on the spot as he took in the coral-like beams and the glowing console in the middle. On the platform around it Rose and the Doctor still danced.

Well, _trying_ to dance.

He looked at Danielle, who really didn't look too pleased at the two dancing, even if Rose was complaining about the Doctor's technique. His gaze quickly went back to the gigantic room. She wasn't lying; it was magnificent.

"Much bigger on the inside," he commented.

"You'd better be," the Doctor muttered pointedly, moving away from Rose to fly them away from the exploding ship.

Rose knew exactly what she was doing. A quick glance at Danielle told her that the girl was suitably uncomfortable with the dancing that she was probably questioning everything she was feeling and coming to the correct conclusion. The Doctor had stepped away from her, not because of his terrible dancing, but because Jack was standing _right next_ to Danielle and he wasn't pleased. She was sure everything was coming together quite nicely.

She turned to Jack, holding her hand out. "I think what the Doctor's trying to say is," she looked him up and down, "you may cut in," she finished in a flirty tone.

"Rose!" the Doctor snapped without meaning to. He knew that her boyfriend wasn't exactly very useful. Mickey the Idiot wasn't going to win any awards in any regard, but apparently Jack could just capture everyone's attention. Realising they all seemed a little confused at his anger, he quickly racked his brain for something to say.

His eyes lit up. "I've just remembered!"

Rose paused before the pair started dancing. "What?"

With a quick snap of his fingers the music changed. Danielle's laughed in delight as she recognised the more upbeat music. "Oh, I love this song!" she cried.

The Doctor started moving, snapping his fingers to the beat as he did. "I can dance! I can dance!"

Rose motioned to the Captain. "Actually, Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance," she said pointedly, giving her head a short nod towards Danielle in the hope that he'd pick up the not-so-subtle hint.

"I'm sure he would, Rose. I'm absolutely certain," he agreed. "But who with?"

Rose rolled her eyes, but hopped back onto the platform in front of the console to dance with her friend. She couldn't help it. They were still really good friends and his happiness was incredibly infectious.

Danielle watched the pair sadly. She knew she should be angry at Rose for flaunting the fact that she could _dance_ with the Doctor in front of her, but she couldn't bring herself to. She was sure it would come out at a later time, most likely in batches of burnt banana bread and brownies, but right now all she could feel was the tightening in her chest. It was like someone was squeezing her heart.

Jack, sensing her distress, held out his hand to her. "Fancy a dance, Danni-Girl?" he asked. She stared at him for a moment, looking like she was about to decline. "For old times' sake?"

She chuckled then nodded. "Alright, you twisted my arm," she conceded. She took his hand and he pulled her close and they both began dancing together to the cheerful music. She couldn't stay too sad for too long as Jack spun her around and dipped her. She really was happy that he was okay. And, like the Doctor had said, everyone had lived this time. She needed to just settle in and enjoy the happiness of one, big win.

The Doctor looked over at her delighted laugh and Rose watch his happy grin fall to a scowl. "Why don't you go cut in?" she suggested, which the Doctor thought was a very good idea indeed. Just because Jack had tried to make his mistake right didn't mean that he had changed completely. Jack didn't deserve her laughter. He did.

He finished dancing with Rose rather abruptly and walked over to the pair. Danielle was holding onto Jack tightly, her smile reaching her eyes, her hair fanning out as Jack spun her again. They didn't notice him for a moment but came to a stop when they did.

"May I cut in?" the Doctor asked.

"Of course," Jack replied, giving Danielle an exaggerated bow before the pair split. The Doctor looked to Danielle, whose eyes were wide and her lip was pulled underneath her teeth. She looked nervous, but not in a bad way and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He also didn't know how he felt about his own nerves as he thought about asking her for a dance. He was too old to be feeling so young and anxious. Even covered in blood she was exceptionally cute. And who was he?

He was a tall northern man with giant ears, that's who he was.

He held out his hand to Jack. "May I have this dance?" he asked, cheekiness in his voice. Jack looked startled before shrugging and taking his hand. They quickly fell into the music, with Jack telling the Doctor to let him lead.

Rose walked over to Danielle, who looked just like a rejected puppy. She didn't understand what the Doctor had just done but she did understand the thoughts that were undoubtedly running through Danielle's mind. No one liked being rejected like that.

"Come on, let's show them how it's done," she suggested temptingly. Danielle locked eyes with her and looked ready to question Rose on what had happened. Instead, though, she took hold of Rose's hand and her look turned distinctly smug.

"Let's do this."

 _~0~0~0~_

Jack stepped out his room, turning around to watch the door close with a look of pure amazement on his face that matched what he was actually feeling. He couldn't believe his eyes at all. He'd been taken to his room and told to imagine what he wanted. He'd not thought it possible, but there it was. His perfect bedroom right on the other side of the doors. He'd had the best shower he'd ever had with the best products he'd ever used. He needed to see more and, being buzzed on something _that_ amazing, he decided that now was that time to go exploring.

"Wow," he breathed out loud anyway.

"She's pretty awesome, isn't she?"

He turned and saw Danielle stood there and he grinned. "I thought you were heading to bed," he teased lightly. He looked her up and down. "And you've got changed, I see."

Danielle looked down, pulling at the new skirt she was wearing. "I was, but I couldn't sleep," she explained. "And, well, I was covered in blood. It's not a look I like to wear."

"You pulled it off perfectly, though," he said, flirting because he could. She rolled her eyes but didn't take offense at it. Even over the short amount of time since they'd met she'd just come to accept that was how he was. Plus, he was the only person who would flirt with her anyway.

"I-I was just heading to the library, if you want to join me," she offered. "It's pretty amazing."

Jack looked up to the ceiling. "I don't doubt that for a second," he stated, because the TARDIS was just too amazing for words. He looked back at her. "Should have known you were a bookworm."

"Hey! I'm not a stereotype," she replied indignantly. "I just happen to like reading."

He held his arm out for her anyway, and she took it. "So, Red, why can't you sleep?" he asked. "Missing home?"

"No," she replied. "I just can't. I ended up trying on clothes for a while then thought a walk might clear my head. Then I thought I might do some reading instead. Maybe a cup of tea would be better, though." She looked down, staring at her feet. "I don't know."

"And this has nothing to do with the rather tall, big-eared Time Lord that owns this magnificent machine?" he asked. She looked up at him, alarmed.

"No, no, why would it?" she replied quickly, then sighed when he raised an eyebrow at her. "He didn't want to dance with me," she murmured.

Jack laughed, much to her annoyance. "Oh, Red, trust me, he wanted to dance with you."

"If he'd wanted to then he would have," she replied factually. "He doesn't. I'm just not- I dunno, not blonde enough, I guess."

Jack came to a stop. "Hey," he said, making her look at him again. "I know a _lot_ about attraction. I mean, how can I not?" He waved at himself with his free hand and she glared at him. "The reason he didn't dance with you was because he wanted to."

Her brows furrowed. "That can't be how it works."

"You really don't know a lot about this sort of thing, do you?" he asked, amused.

"If you're just going to make fun of me…" she replied, starting to remove her arm from his. He reached out, grabbing her hand so she couldn't let go.

"I'm not making fun," he promised. "Look, you didn't try and dance with him, did you?" he asked.

"Well, no."

"Why was that?"

She shifted slightly. "Because I was nervous," she admitted. "And he might have noticed." Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh! You're saying that…"

"He felt the same." He patted her hand but let it go. "He really didn't like the idea that we might have been _dancing_."

Her cheeks were starting to burn. Why did everyone have to keep using that euphemism around her? "We didn't, though. We actually just danced."

"Doesn't matter. He was jealous," Jack replied patiently. Once again, he was reminded with just how low her self-esteem was. "When I first beamed you up onto my ship your arm was bleeding and fractured, but you still ripped up a bit of my floor and told me in no uncertain terms that we were never going to _dance._ "

"Well, what do you expect? You hear stories of women being kidnapped, I was terrified."

"But you weren't, though. You were pissed," he pointed out. "You were so sure of what _wasn't_ going to happen that you came right out and said it."

She frowned. "What's your point?"

"You're not doing the same now, are you?" he replied. "The Doctor didn't dance with you, but you didn't try and dance with him either. Why was that?"

"Because he might have said no," she replied.

"And what if he had said yes?" he countered. "You're very happy to tell the universe what you're not willing to do, why not tell it what you _are_ willing to do for once." He let go of her arm. "You seem much too strong-willed to take 'no' for an answer if a 'yes' is on the table."

"You've barely known me a day. You have no idea what I'm like," she told him.

He shrugged. "You're easier to read than you think, Danni-Girl." He turned, leaving her standing in the hallway. "Go get your yes. Then you can come tell me how right I was."

She watched him walk away, making no moves to follow and tell him how wrong he was. She really was out of her depth with all of this. She knew how to live her own life, in her own world, letting people see certain parts that she was happy to share. She'd never wanted to delve deeper than that. She'd never wanted to let anyone closer. Even now, even with her heart racing at the prospect that Jack might have been right, she still wasn't sure if it was what she wanted. All she did know was that, if it was anyone, it was the Doctor.

And then there was Rose. Who was funny, and kind and very pretty and had danced with the Doctor with no issue at all. In fact, Danielle was having a hard time even thinking of Rose. It felt like a little piece of betrayal wrapped up in a big old helping of resignation. If it was anyone, of course it would be Rose. The friend she'd opened up to. The friend she'd trusted with that information about herself that she barely trusted in her own head. Who else was going to hold the Doctor's attention but her?

The Doctor hadn't had an issue dancing with the other young woman, maybe it _was_ her that he didn't want to dance with. Maybe it was just her own fantasies that were tempting her to believe Jack's theory. After all, she'd not asked because she had been scared of rejection. What if he'd been scared of rejection too?

She turned around, heading towards the console room feeling like she was going to faint, and yet strangely empowered. Jack seemed to know romance quite well and he wasn't scared of anything if it meant he would be happy. Perhaps he really was right.

Of course, when she reached the console room and saw the Doctor stood there, tinkering away like a mechanic and an old, beloved car, she froze on the spot, her words disappearing. What was she supposed to say? Did she just blurt it out? Did she have to act coy, or flirt? Did she even _know_ how to flirt? Should she have changed again? Maybe she should have just gone back to bed.

The Doctor turned around, sensing someone behind him and smiled brightly at her. "Danielle!" he cried, like he was really happy to see her. "Here was me thinking I was going to have to go exploring on my own tonight."

She faltered slightly. "Oh, I-I didn't realise you were waiting for me."

"I wasn't, but it's always better with two," he explained before frowning to himself. She looked paler than normal, and more uncomfortable. She couldn't quite look at him. "What's wrong?"

She quickly shot her gaze to him. "What-What do you mean?" she asked him, her voice more high-pitched than she would have liked. She cleared her throat. She had to pull herself together. She was being ridiculous. He was a nine-hundred-year-old alien. Of course, there was nothing else there.

But, he did say humans _danced_ everywhere…

He didn't know whether to push it or not, but she looked so startled he stopped what he was doing. "Was it that Captain again?" he asked. She smiled slightly, but shook her head.

"No, Jack's been…" She glanced behind her. "Jack's been great, actually," she finished softly. "I just… I was wondering…"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

She took a deep breath. "Why didn't you dance with me?" she asked, a little rushed and a little more accusatory than she had meant it to be.

"Oh!" he turned back to the console. "I just- Why?"

She shrugged, stepping into the console room and a little closer to him. "You danced with Jack and Rose, but not me," she continued. "I was just-Did I upset you? I never know, I'm not very good at noticing that sometimes."

"No, you didn't," he replied. "Did you- Did I upset you?" he countered.

"No, it-It would have just been nice, that's all," she offered with a shrug. "To be, you know, included."

He smiled softly. He understood that completely and had never meant to make her feel like he was excluding her from anything. "Well, let's change that," he declared. With a flick of a switch _Moonlight Serenade_ began playing from the speakers of the console. Danielle's eyes widened in surprise and the Doctor held out his hand. When she didn't take it, just stared at it like it might bite her, he took a step closer. "What? Don't think I can dance as well as your American friend?" he challenged.

"I didn't say that," she retorted, taking it. The song was much slower than the one he'd danced with Rose to, and he hadn't really thought about that when he'd put it on. He'd done it because Jack had called it 'their' song and he didn't like the idea that she had a song with Jack. He didn't want them to share a connection beyond what he shared with Danielle.

Because they were friend, of course.

Still, she shifted her hand so it was more comfortable, and placed a hand on his arm and suddenly it felt a lot more intimate. They swayed to the music, silently, until Danielle looked up at him. "I do like this song," she told him quietly. "It's very pretty."

He nodded. "It is," he agreed. "Very pretty."

It didn't feel awkward, that wasn't what it was. The air just felt heavy and Danielle's heart felt like it was about to jump right out of her chest. Which wasn't going to be lovely. And could be rather embarrassing if it got all over the Doctor's sweatshirt. She'd hate to cause such a mess by suddenly exploding because she felt… well, she felt…

She looked up at him, trying to be subtle. She wasn't sure how she felt. She felt both nervous and excited. She was dancing with the Doctor and it shouldn't have felt like that. She hadn't felt this way with Rose, or with Jack. It was just the Doctor.

She had absolutely no idea that the Doctor was feeling rather the same. He was certain that she could feel the how clammy his palms were becoming. His brain was on overdrive trying to tell him that this really wasn't a good idea, but he couldn't help himself. Her inquisitiveness wasn't like Rose's, or Jack's. It reminded him of how he'd seen the universe when he'd first left Gallifrey and he loved seeing that again. He loved stoking that burning curiosity. He really felt like there was something in her that connected with him and he really hadn't meant for that to happen. He was so much _older_ than her, and so… so tall, with big ears and very northern. She shouldn't have even been bothered about dancing with her. But there she was.

"You know, I almost met Glenn Miller once," he told her. Her eyes lit up in delight at hearing another story from him. "I ended up being trapped in a barn with these creatures called the Kinafore. Horrid little things. Covered in tentacles and the don't really have a definition of 'personal boundaries'."

Danielle giggled. "Did they get too frisky with you?" she asked with a tease. He nodded.

"It's why I wear jumpers," he replied. "Less skin for the suckers to attach to."

She laughed again, giving her head a shake. "Honestly, it's a wonder we can take you anywhere."

"Oi, I'm the one who takes you places," he protested. "My time machine, remember?"

"Nah," she said. "You're totally her Time Lord." The console flashed, a long light going from the bottom up to the top. Danielle turned her head to look at it, still thoroughly amused. "Yeah? I knew I was right!"

She turned and their eyes met again. Her laughter died and her breath caught, much like his seemed to. She had no idea what was going on but it felt heavy and unspoken in the air. She'd never felt anything like it and it was both exciting and suffocating. Like she was going to drown in it if she didn't so something.

She pressed up on her tiptoes, gently pressing her lips against his. It was just a short, chaste kiss with nothing much behind it, but she felt him press back against her touch and her heart skipped one happy beat.

He looked just as shocked as she felt when she pulled away. She hadn't even thought, she'd just acted and it had felt fantastic. But his eyes were wide and he looked ready to run and her panic began to pick up once again. Had she read the room completely wrong? This was why she hadn't wanted to admit anything out loud to Rose. She had absolutely no idea and he was going to hate her for…

 _Oh!_

Her thoughts were immediately shut down the moments his lips met hers again. Her eyes fluttered shut and she held onto the top of his arm tightly, like she was going to fall down if she didn't'. Again it was just a fairly chaste and quick kiss, but to Danielle it felt like such a huge leap. He'd kissed her. He'd actually kissed her.

She lowered back onto the flats of her feet when they broke apart and both of them just stared at each other. The Doctor's hearts were pounding again, this time out of nerves that he'd acted too soon, that she'd not actually been trying to kiss him but just place a friendly kiss on his cheek to thank him for the dance.

But then she smiled. A big, bright smile that he couldn't help but return. Her cheeks were glowing a warm pink but she looked as happy as he felt. "Well…" she started.

"Well, then," he said at the same time and the pair chuckled at their absurd behaviour. "I think that's enough dancing for one day."

Danielle nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right," she agreed. "I should—" she motioned over her shoulder. "-I should head to bed anyway. Been a long-a long day."

He nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, you do that," he said. "I'll take you on that adventure tomorrow night."

Her bright smile fell to a smirk. "I'm holding you to that," she warned before heading to the hallway. "Goodnight Spaceman," she called over.

"Goodnight Danielle," he called back. She turned the corner, paused in the hallway and giggled again to herself. She reached up and brushed her fingers across her lips. She felt like she was in some sort of teenage romance novel. The one's she used to turn her nose up at in public and declare beneath her, but the ones she used to secretly read because she wanted to understand why people in her class seemed turn into idiots when their hormones were involved. She felt just like that.

And she didn't hate it.

 _~0~0~0~_

 _Hello! I was so surprised at all of you who were still around! I would have given up on waiting for me **ages** ago :D :D_

 _I hope you like this one too! I've been trying to get to the end of this for a long time!_


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